Mobile information processing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A mobile information communication apparatus includes a data processing device for sending plotting command/data to a display control device that controls the pixels of a display panel belonging to the mobile information communication apparatus. An interface device is provided which receives the plotting command/data generated by the data processing device and sends, based on plotting command/data, an external display signal to the external display device. The data processing device and the interface device are configured to send, from the interface device, a higher-resolution external display signal.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a mobile information communicationapparatus such as a mobile telephone unit, a connection unit used alongwith a mobile information communication apparatus, and an externalinput/output unit used along with a mobile information communicationapparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

Due to recent advance of electronics, and information and communicationtechnology, a mobile handset for operating in mobile telephone systemincluding PHS (Personal Handyphone System), PDA (Personal DigitalAssistant) and other mobile information communication apparatuses, whichsend or receive data by wireless communication, have becomemultifunctional, so that it comes normally equipped with a web browsingfunction, as well as with an e-mail sending and receiving function,which enables to acquire document files described by markup language andtheir linked files from a web server connected to the Internet, and todisplay texts and images in a proper layout on its own attached displaymeans which usually is a liquid crystal display panel.

Hereinafter, “a mobile handset for operating in mobile telephone systemincluding PHS” is referred as “a mobile telephone unit”, and “a documentfile described by markup language” is referred as “a markup documentfile”.

Many mobile telephone units also have a game function, by which one canenjoy a change of image displayed on their own attached display bymanually operating its own attached key operating part to activate aprogram, which is downloaded from a web site and is stored in a storagemeans such as a flash memory, and to input required data. Moreover, somemobile telephone units have a television tuner function to receive awireless signal of television broadcast and to display a picture of a TVprogram on their own attached display.

Hereinafter, “a wireless signal of television broadcast” is referred as“a TV signal” in the followings.

Especially since a digital terrestrial broadcast is scheduled to start,it is expected that merging of a digital television tuner function and aweb browsing function in a mobile telephone unit enable to provide auser of the mobile telephone unit with a service taking both advantagesof a concurrent broadcast and the Internet with personal and interactivecharacteristics.

Under these circumstances, a display function of image including a textand a picture is thought to be more important in a mobile informationcommunication apparatus centering on a mobile telephone unit. However, amobile telephone unit and other mobile information communicationapparatuses cannot have large size display means because of a constraintof portability. Thus, in the case of a mobile telephone unit, screen'ssize is around 2.5″ at maximum and screen's resolution is QVGA (QuarterVideo Graphics Array). Note that because a mobile telephone unit isusually used in a vertically long configuration, QVGA means“horizontal×vertical=240×320 pixels”.

When a mobile information communication apparatus receives a long e-mailof which a sentence extends in many lines and does not fall once in itsown attached display screen due to a screen constrain, an e-mailreceiver using the apparatus has to roll down the screen and cannotunderstand the meanings of the text smoothly as a result. On the otherhand, an e-mail sender has to make his e-mail, which is addressed to amobile information communication apparatus, short enough consideringsuch screen constraint of a receiver, even though the sender uses adesktop or a notebook personal computer system of which display screenis large enough to display long text without any problem.

Hereinafter, “a desktop or a notebook personal computer system” isreferred as “a PC”.

Moreover, it is more constrained to browse a web page by using a mobileinformation communication apparatus than to read e-mail by using it. Aweb page intended to be browsed with a PC is usually composed ofdocument files described by HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and theirlinked files.

Hereinafter, “a web page intended to be browsed with a PC” is referredas “a web page for PC”, and “a document file described by HTML” isreferred as “an HTML file”.

However, it is impossible to properly browse a web page described byfull-spec HTML by using an average mobile telephone unit partly becausethe screen's size and resolution of its own attached display means isshort. It is possible only to browse a web page of so called “mobilesite”, which is described by a markup language specialized for a mobileinformation communication apparatus such as CHTML (Compact HTML), HDML(Handheld Device Markup Language) and WML (Wireless Markup Language).Thus, a web page composed of HTML files and their linked image fileswith high resolution is scarcely able to be displayed properly, and amobile telephone unit is sometimes rejected by an administrator toaccess a web site including web page with frame layout, where a screenis divided into some frames with separate URL (Uniform ResourceLocator).

Recently, mobile telephone units with “a full browser function” or “a PCsite view function”, with which a web page for PC can be browsed are onsale, but in many cases the same screen image as that is displayed on aPC screen and is originally intended by a web page creator is notdisplayed, since particular kind of rendering mode is taken such thatimage size is reduced to fit a screen's resolution of a mobile telephoneunit that is 240 pixels in the case of vertically long QVGA, text movesto next line according to screen width, or each frame is displayed in aseparate page in the case of a frame layout web page.

Some mobile telephone unit takes such rendering mode as to display a webpage for PC in similar layout as displayed in a PC screen, but a webpage for PC is created to target VGA screen (horizontal×vertical=640×480pixels) at lowest, so it is difficult to understand the whole meaning ofa web page because a whole page cannot be browsed without a frequenthorizontal scrolling.

Hereinbefore and hereinafter, “a whole of image displayed in full screenon a display screen” is referred as” “a screen image”. Therefore, forexample, when a web page composed of a document file described by markuplanguage and its linked image files is browsed and displayed in fullscreen, “a screen image” is a whole of a image including all of thedocument text, all of the individual images corresponding to the imagefiles, and even various menu displays of browser software.

Note that, for example, when a screen image data of VGA is inputted to adisplay device to meet only screen mode of XGA (eXtended Graphics Array)(horizontal×vertical=1024×768 pixels) and image is displayed only incenter of the screen (or in some corner), “a screen image” means adisplay of the display area excluding non-display area.

By using a mobile information communication apparatus, on the otherhand, one can enjoy only a relatively simple game, which can bedisplayed in its own attached small size display means. Since,therefore, almost all games of so-called “mobile appli” were created oneor more generations ago in the field of games for a specialized gamemachine or a PC, they are enjoyed only for time killing in a short time.

Also, when one watches a TV program by using a mobile telephone unit ofwhich display has a resolution of QVGA at highest, it is required tothin out pixels, because effective scanning lines required by a TVbroadcast, which is equivalent to vertical resolution and is 480 in thecase of an analog TV broadcast, is larger than a vertical resolution ofa display means belonging to a mobile telephone unit, which is 240pixels when a mobile telephone unit is used in a horizontally longconfiguration (horizontal×vertical=320×240 pixels) to watch in as largea screen as possible. Especially in the case of a digital TV broadcast,effective horizontal resolution is regulated as well as number ofeffective scanning lines (vertical resolution). In 480i mode, of whichresolution is the lowest, horizontal resolution and vertical resolutionis 720 pixels and 480 pixels respectively, and in 1080i, that isso-called “full high vision”, horizontal resolution and verticalresolution is 1920 pixels and 1080 pixels respectively. Anyway, a mobiletelephone unit, of which display means has a resolution of QVGA athighest, cannot display an intrinsic image of a TV broadcast in fullscreen but can display only a poor image with a lower resolution than anintrinsic resolution.

Wherein “an intrinsic image of a TV broadcast” means “an image with anintrinsic resolution, which is displayed, when a TV signal is properlyprocessed by a television receiver (TV receiver) with a sufficient tunerand display function”.

Many users of a mobile information communication apparatus possess a PCin addition to the mobile apparatus. Such a user uses a PC when he sendsand receives a long e-mail, browses a web page for PC or enjoys acomplex game of which graphics can be displayed only in large sizescreen. And a mobile information communication apparatus is utilizedonly for sending and receiving a short e-mail and browsing a web page of“mobile site”. In other case, only a wireless communication means of amobile information communication apparatus, which is connected to a PC,is utilized to connect a network and data, which is acquired by usingthe wireless communication means, is processed only by a PC. Also,recently “AV (Audio Visual)-PC” is on sale, which has a function whichenables a user to watch a TV program by using a built-in televisiontuner. In such a case that both of “AV-PC” and a mobile telephone unitwith a television tuner are possessed, a TV program is watched by amobile telephone unit outside or in traveling time and is watched by“AV-PC” home or in one's room.

Since, however, a PC is usually designed for a versatile use that is notrestricted to sending and receiving of e-mail or browsing of web page,which can be conducted by a mobile information communication apparatus,it has a higher-performance processor, such as CPU (Central ProcessingUnit) or so on, than a data processing means of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus. Moreover, it is required to prepare software,such as OS (Operating System) or so on, to activate hardware. Thus, ittakes more cost to possess a PC than it does to possess a mobiletelephone unit or another mobile information communication apparatus.

Therefore, it is economically irrational for major users, whose usage ofa mobile information communication apparatus is restricted to sendingand receiving of e-mail or browsing of web page except a telephone call,to possess a PC in order only to avoid inconvenience in reading a longe-mail or browsing a web page for PC due to short screen's size andresolution of a display means belonging to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

On the other hand, although a data processing means of a mobileinformation communication apparatus does not have all functions as aPC's processor such as CPU, as far as a display data processing functionto display an image on its own attached display means is concerned, ithas a comparable function as that of a PC's processor, except that thedisplay screen is small. Thus, it is not desirable from the viewpoint ofeffective resource to use both a PC and a mobile informationcommunication apparatus as described above, because it results in lowoperating rate of one machine at least and it means overlappinginvestment to similar items.

Similar problem of “irrational overlapping investment” and “inefficientresource use” occurs in the case that a mobile information communicationapparatus has a television tuner function. Because a television tunercircuit, which receives and converts a TV signal to digital data, isrequired in order to enjoy audio and visual of a TV program. On theother hand, an average user of a mobile information communicationapparatus usually possesses a TV receiver or “AV-PC” with a largerscreen besides a mobile information communication apparatus, sincedisplay means belonging to the mobile apparatus is poor both in size andin image quality. Thus, the user is forced to possess both televisiontuner circuit in a mobile information communication apparatus and thatof a TV receiver or “AV-PC” and that results in low operating rate ofone television tuner at least.

In the case of a digital terrestrial broadcast, simple overlappinginvestment seams not to occur because a television tuner of a TVreceiver and that of a mobile information communication apparatus aredifferent in specification, since segments (high-vision broadcast) or 4segments (normal broadcast) out of 13 segments comprising one channelare assigned to a normal TV receiver and 1 segment is assigned to amobile information communication apparatus. As a result of developmentof electrical and information technology, however, it is probable that atuner receiving 12 segments or 4 segment broadcast, which is intended tobe received by a normal TV receiver at present, will be installed in amobile information communication apparatus, and, if then, similarproblem of “irrational overlapping investment” and “inefficient resourceuse” will occurs in the field of a digital television tuner, which isexpensive on the current level of technology.

Because of such a situation, it is recognized as an issue that, by usinga mobile information communication apparatus not a PC, a long e-mail, aweb page for PC, a highly entertaining game and a moving image of TVprogram is displayed in a larger screen, keeping the size of its ownattached display means the same as present not to harm its portability.Especially, as for a web page for PC, it is an issue that a screen imagesimilar to that of PC is displayed, and as for a TV program, it is anissue that an intrinsic image of a TV broadcast is displayed infull-screen.

In order to solve such an issue, some technologies are disclosed todisplay an image in a larger-screen external display device than adisplay means belonging to a mobile information communication apparatusby connecting the larger-screen external display device to the mobileinformation communication apparatus.

Hereinafter, “an external display device with a larger screen than adisplay means belonging to a mobile information communication apparatus”is referred as “an larger-screen external display device”.

And such technologies are categorized into the following three types:

1st type: A mobile information communication apparatus and alarger-screen external display device are connected with each other viasome connection unit;2nd type: A mobile information communication apparatus and alarger-screen external display device are directly connected, and thelarger-screen external display device is an image display device with aspecial function to make various processes on display data, which isreceived from the mobile information communication apparatus;3rd type: A mobile information communication apparatus and alarger-screen external display device are directly connected, and acommonly used display device such as a TV monitor, which does not haveany special means except interface means with the mobile informationcommunication apparatus, is used as the larger-screen external displaydevice.

The 1st types of technologies are disclosed for example in PatentDocument 1, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4.

The technologies disclosed in these patent documents do not require touse a PC separately from a mobile information communication apparatusbut some connection unit with a display data processing means such as aprocessor (in Patent Document 1), a CPU (in Patent Document 2), areading control circuit (in Patent Document 3) and a display controlcircuit (Patent Document 4) instead. Such a display data processingmeans has a function only to display characters and images on the screenand is not versatile as a CPU and other processors or OS and othersoftware of PC. Thus, it is possible that a cost of a connection unitwith a display data processing means is cheaper than that of a PC, andit is more economically acceptable to possess such a connection unitthan to possess a PC in addition to a mobile information communicationapparatus.

Even though, a user still possesses each display data processing meanswith almost the same display data processing function to display imagesand characters both in the mobile information communication apparatusand in the connection unit except that the size of screens, on whichimages are displayed, are different. In this case, therefore, similarproblem of “irrational overlapping investment” and “inefficient resourceuse” will also occur as in the case to use a PC in addition to a mobileinformation communication apparatus. And it is realistically possiblethat purchases cost of a connection unit will be the same as that of aPC or higher than that of PC.

On the other hand, the 2nd types of technologies are disclosed forexample in Patent Document 5, Patent Document 6, Patent Document 7,Patent Document 8 and Patent Document 9.

This type of technologies does not require a PC or a connectionapproximately equivalent to a PC. However, it is required that an imagedisplay device with a display data processing means such as a controlsystem (a micro computer) (in Patent Document 5), a control part 5 (inPatent Document 6, which is different from a control part 10 in wirelesstelephone), a high definition convert part and a display processing part(in Patent Document 7), an expanding circuit and a display circuit (inPatent Document 8), or a CPU (in Patent Document 9), since, in thiscase, a commonly used display device such as TV monitor cannot be usedas it stands.

The a technology categorized in the 3rd type is also disclosed in PatentDocument 6, and in the technology control part 10 in a wirelesstelephone has an additional display data processing function. Thus, acontrol part 15 in a larger-screen external display device (a mobiledisplay) only sends display data inputted from connector terminal 13 toa liquid crystal display panel belonging to a mobile display, so that itdoes not have any display data processing function. This technology willbe discussed in the paragraph where the 3rd type of technology isdiscussed.

Since, in the 2nd types of technologies, each display data processingmeans with almost the same function is equipped both in a mobileinformation communication apparatus and in a larger-screen externaldisplay device as described above, the problem of “irrationaloverlapping investment” and “inefficient resource use” also occurs. Andsince purchases cost of an image display device with such a display dataprocessing means will be surely more expensive than that of a commonlyused CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device and a normal liquid crystaldisplay device, a similar irrational economic burden as occurs in when aPC is additionally used or the 1st type of technology is adopted, whichshould be avoided, also occurs.

On the other hand, the 3rd type of technology does not use a connectionunit or a special image processor and is comprised only of a mobileinformation communication apparatus and a commonly used larger-screenexternal display device without any special functions. Thus, in general,the 3rd type of technology is supposed to be more unlikely to yield theproblem of “irrational overlapping investment” and “inefficient resourceuse” than the 1st and the 2nd type of technology.

A mobile telephone unit with so-called “TV output function” or “AVoutput function” is commercially available, which is categorized in the3rd type of technology. In such a mobile telephone unit, the mobiletelephone unit is connected to a TV monitor via special cable of whichtelephone side terminal is a special connecting terminal and of whichmonitor side terminal is a video terminal and it is possible to displaya still image and a moving image, which are taken by using its ownattached digital camera function, and certain games on a TV monitor, ofwhich screen is larger than that of a display means belonging to themobile telephone unit. In this case, however, a resolution of an imagedisplayed on a TV monitor is the same as screen's resolution of adisplay means belonging to a mobile telephone unit (QVGA at largest) sothat a small image is displayed in the center of TV monitor or expandedimage with poor quality is displayed in full screen.

At present, only still images and moving images, which are taken by amobile telephone unit itself, or certain games are displayed on a TVmonitor. Even though, however, such a mobile telephone unit has “a fullbrowser function” or “a PC site view function” and a browsed web pagefor PC is displayed on a TV monitor, the same screen image as displayedon its own attached display means should be only enlarged withoutincreasing image resolution. Therefore, a display in the same layout asthat is realized on a PC screen and is originally intended by a web pagecreator should not be realized on a TV monitor. Moreover, even though,such a mobile telephone unit has a television tuner function and areceived image is outputted to a TV monitor, an intrinsic image of a TVbroadcast should not be displayed on a TV monitor.

Therefore, in order to solve the above issue, it is not sufficient for amobile information communication apparatus to have such a function toenlarge an image, which is displayed on its own attached screen, and todisplay it on a larger-screen external display device as a mobiletelephone unit with “TV output function” or “AV output function”. It isnecessary to provide a mobile information communication apparatus with afunction that an image with a higher resolution than a screen'sresolution of its own attached display means can be displayed on alarger-screen external display device.

If such a mobile information communication apparatus is provided, awhole image with an intrinsic resolution can be displayed on an externaldisplay with a larger screen, even if only a part image or a whole imagewith poor quality, of which pixels are thinned out, can be displayed onits own attached display panel. Especially, if a mobile informationcommunication apparatus has a function to display an image of whichhorizontal pixels is larger than the horizontal resolution of its owndisplay screen, number of characters can be increased which can bedisplayed in a line. Herewith, text does not extend in many lines nor isnecessary to be rolled down frequently, even when the mobile informationcommunication apparatus receives long e-mail. By synthesizing theseeffects, a web page for PC is displayed on a larger-screen externaldisplay device in the same layout as is realized on a screen of a PC.

The 3rd types of technologies, which are intended to solve issuessimilar to the above issue, are disclosed, for example, in PatentDocument 6, Patent Document 10, Patent Document 11, Patent Document 12and Patent Document 13.

In Patent Document 10 and Patent Document 11, it is disclosed that a TVreceiver including a digital TV receiver is selected as a larger-screenexternal display device, and a video circuit and a video terminal, aninterface circuit and a connector, or a transmitter circuit and anantenna (these all in Patent Document 10), or a neighborhoodcommunication means (part) (in Patent Document 11) are provided asinterface means between a mobile information communication apparatus anda larger-screen external display device. In these documents, however, amechanism is not described at all how to display screen images withdifferent information amount on display (display part) of a mobiletelephone unit and on an external display with a larger screen, whichhave different screen sizes.

In Patent Document 11, in fact, it is disclosed that a control part 17controls both a display part 11 and a neighborhood communication 18, butit is not disclosed at all by what mechanism said display part 17 shouldhave in order that a screen image with less information amount isdisplayed on displayed part 17 and a screen image with more informationamount is displayed on a digital TV 2, which sends and receives databetween neighborhood communication 18. In Patent Document 10, on theother hand, it is suggested that a display actuating part controls asignal output to a (digital) TV receiver, but it is not disclosed at allhow an image is displayed on a display means belonging to a mobiletelephone unit.

On the other hand, in Patent Document 6 and Patent Document 12, it isdisclosed that a mobile display (in Patent Document 6) or a CRT display(in Patent Document 12) is selected as a larger-screen external displaydevice and an external interface (in Patent Document 6) or a monitorterminal (Patent Document 12) is provided as interface means. And also amechanism is disclosed how to display a screen image with lessinformation amount on a display part of a wireless telephone unit (inPatent Document 6) or a personal liquid crystal display panel of amobile telephone unit (Patent Document 12) and to display a screen imagewith more information amount on a larger-screen external display device.

At first, in Patent Document 6, a control part 10 of a wirelesstelephone unit has a function to output display data of an image both toa display part 2 of a wireless telephone unit and to an externalinterface 3, and also has functions as enlargement means and enlargementcontrol means and functions as linefeed means and linefeed controlmeans. And it is described that an image, of which size is larger thanthat of image displayed in the display part 2 belonging to the wirelesstelephone unit, is displayed on a liquid crystal display 12 belonging tothe mobile display and it is possible to increase number of charactersdisplayed in one line.

However, additional functions disclosed in the document are restrictedto functions related to image enlargement, which are already realized ina mobile telephone unit with “TV output function” or “AV outputfunction”, and to functions related to a display of characters. It isimpossible that solely by the technologies disclosed in Patent Document6 that, for example, a whole image with an intrinsic resolution isdisplayed on an external display with a larger screen, if only a partimage or a whole image with poor quality, of which pixels are thinnedout, can be displayed on its own attached display panel. Therefore, thetechnology disclosed in Patent Document 6 cannot solve the issuecompletely to provide a mobile information communication apparatus witha function that an image with a higher resolution than a screen'sresolution of its own attached display means can be displayed on alarger-screen external display device.

On the other hand, in Patent Document 12, it is disclosed that a displaycontrol circuit 21 has a function to send inputted display dataseparately both to a personal liquid crystal display panel 23 belongingto a mobile telephone unit and to a monitor terminal 25 connected to aCRT display under the control of a CPU 11. It is explained that, even ifthe amount of display data of image is too much to display the contentsof display data on the personal liquid crystal display panel 23, alldata is displayed on the CRT display without any deficiency according tothis function.

This technology can seemingly solve the above issue to display a webpage for PC on a larger-screen external display device in a similarimage as that realized in a PC. Patent Document 12, however, has thefollowing two problems.

Firstly, the mechanism for the display control circuit 21 to senddisplay data separately both to the personal liquid crystal displaypanel 23 and to the monitor terminal 25 is not unknown. In PatentDocument 12, there is a description saying “when display contentscorrespond to . . . ” or “when the destination of display data indicates. . . ”, but it is not disclosed at all by what mechanism the“correspondence” is judged or by what mechanism the “indication” isrealized.

Secondly, it is not unworn what kind of image is displayed on thepersonal liquid crystal display panel 23 when display data correspondingto the CRT display 24 is inputted to the display control circuit 21under the situation that the CRT display is not connected to the monitorterminal 25 and the mobile telephone unit is solely used. If, in such asituation, no image is displayed on the personal liquid crystal displaypanel 23, user convenience is reduced. If a part image is displayed onthe personal liquid crystal display panel 2 and a whole image can beseen by screen scrolling, such mechanism to realize this is notdisclosed at all.

Therefore, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 12 does not alsosolve the issue to provide a mobile information communication apparatuswith a function to display an image with a higher resolution than ascreen's resolution of its own attached display means on a larger-screenexternal display device.

Lastly, Patent Document 13 discloses the technology to provide aprocessor having a wide variety of functions in a telephone to displayan image on a screen of a TV receiver that is a larger-screen externaldisplay device. The technology enables to display various information,including HTML contents comprising a web page for PC, on a large screenof a TV receiver and also is supposed to enable a web page for PC to bedisplayed on a larger-screen external display device in a similar imageas that realized in a PC.

However, the processor installed in the telephone unit is high classenough to include various processors, such as a CPU 50 a, a graphicprocessor, a sound processor and a DMA processor, and input/outputports. Moreover, the processor sole takes a role of image processingand, in contrast, a CPU 36 belonging to the telephone unit just takes arole of delivery of key input data and HTML contents data according to arequest of the CPU 50 a belonging to the processor. Thus, as for imageprocessing, the situation is the same as the case that a mobiletelephone unit and a PC are used at the same time and a wirelesscommunication means of a mobile telephone unit is utilized only toconnect to network.

Therefore, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 13 is formallycategorized into the 3rd type, but there is no significant differencebetween 1st type and 2nd type of technology on the viewpoint of“irrational overlapping investment” and “inefficient resource use”.

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DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention is invented considering the abovementionedcircumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide a mobileinformation communication apparatus which can display an image with ahigher resolution than a screen's resolution of its own attached displaymeans on a connected larger-screen external display device, without anyspecial display data generating means for the larger-screen externaldisplay device being used separately from an originally equipped displaydata generating means, which is necessary to display an image on its ownattached display means, but only with an addition of an interface meansbetween the mobile information communication apparatus and thelarger-screen external display device and a little addition of functionsto its own display data generating means.

Hereinbefore and hereinafter, “display data generating means which isoriginally equipped to a mobile information communication apparatus andis necessary to display an image on its own attached display means” isreferred as “its own attached display data generating means”.

Especially, as for a web page for PC, the present invention provides amobile information communication apparatus, which can display a similarimage as that realized in a PC and, it can be seen without frequenthorizontal scroll. Also, as for a TV program, the present inventionprovides a mobile information communication apparatus, which can displayan intrinsic image of a TV broadcast.

The present invention also provides a connection unit, which is usedalong with the mobile information communication apparatus and thelarger-screen external display device and enables an image with a higherresolution than a screen's resolution of a display means belonging tothe mobile information communication apparatus to be displayed on thelarger-screen external display device. Moreover, the present inventionalso provides an external input/output unit, which is used along withthe mobile information communication apparatus and displays an imagewith a higher resolution than a screen's resolution of a display meansbelonging to the mobile information communication apparatus on anexternal display panel belonging to itself.

In order to achieve above objectives, according to the first inventionof the present invention related to a mobile information communicationapparatus, there is provided a mobile information communicationapparatus comprising: a data input means by which a user inputs data bya manual operation; a data sending and receiving means which receivesand converts a wireless signal into a digital signal, and converts adigital signal, which is received from aftermentioned data processingmeans, into a wireless signal and sends it; a storage means which storesa program, which activates aftermentioned data processing means, and adata file, which can be processed by aftermentioned data processingmeans; a data processing means which makes necessary processes on adigital signal, which is received from said data sending and receivingmeans, and/or data, which is read out from said storage means, andgenerates and sends plotting command/data and other data, according todata, which is inputted by said data input means, and to a program,which is stored in said storage means, wherein “plotting command/data”means “plotting command/or image data”; a display means which iscomposed of a display panel A, on which an image is displayed as aresult of an activation of pixels comprising its screen, and a displaycontrol means A, which receives plotting command/data generated by saiddata processing means and activates each pixel of said display panel Aaccording to the plotting command/data; an interface means A1 whichreceives plotting command/data, which is generated by said dataprocessing means, and sends an external display signal to a connectedexternal display device according to the plotting command/data, wherein“an external display signal” means “a display signal which is sent to aconnected external display device” and “a connected external displaydevice” means “an external display device which is connected directly orvia necessary mediational means to said interface means A1”; and adestination assigning means which assigns at least either said displaycontrol means A or said interface means A1 as a destination of plottingcommand/data, which is generated by said data processing means; whereinsaid data processing means and said interface means A1 are configured tosend a higher-resolution external display signal from said interfacemeans A1, when said destination assigning means assigns said interfacemeans A1 as a destination of the plotting command/data, wherein “ahigher-resolution external display signal” means “an external displaysignal which a high-resolution external display device receives andproperly processes, so that a higher-resolution image is displayed on ascreen of the high-resolution external display”, “a high-resolutionexternal display device” means “an external display device with asufficient high resolution” and “a higher-resolution image” means “animage with a higher resolution than a screen's resolution (horizontalpixels×vertical pixels) of said display panel A”.

And according to the second invention of the present invention relatedto a mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided amobile information communication apparatus according to the firstinvention, wherein said data processing means and said interface meansA1 are configured to send a higher-resolution external display signalfrom said interface means A1, which a high-resolution external displaydevice, which is connected to the interface means A1, receives andproperly processes, so that a higher-resolution screen image, of whichratio of horizontal pixels and vertical pixels lays between 5:4 and16:9, is displayed on a screen of the high-resolution external display,wherein “a higher-resolution screen image” means “a screen image with ahigher resolution than the screen's resolution of said display panel A”.

And according to the third invention of the present invention related toa mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided a mobileinformation communication apparatus according to the first or the secondinvention, wherein an intrinsic resolution of a higher-resolutionexternal display signal is fixed to a fixed resolution, wherein “anintrinsic resolution of a higher-resolution external display signal”means “a resolution of an image which is displayed on a screen of ahigh-resolution external display device, when the high-resolutionexternal display device receives and properly processes thehigher-resolution external display signal” and “a fixed resolution”means “a resolution which is previously fixed”.

And according to the fourth invention of the present invention relatedto a mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided amobile information communication apparatus according to the first or thesecond invention, further comprising a resolution designating meanswhich selects and assigns a resolution from a fixed range ofresolutions; wherein said data processing means and said interface meansA1 are configured to send a higher-resolution external display signalfrom said interface means A1, of which an intrinsic resolution is theresolution assigned by said resolution designating means.

And according to the fifth invention of the present invention related toa mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided a mobileinformation communication apparatus according to anyone of the first tothe fourth invention, wherein said data processing means and saidinterface means A1 are configured to perform the following functions:

a function to generate bit-mapped data, which describes an image, whichis displayed on a high-resolution external display device connected tothe interface means A1 when the high-resolution external display devicereceives and properly processes a higher-resolution external displaysignal, wherein “bit-mapped data” means “bit mapped type image datawhich describes an image by specifying a color of each pixel of theimage in digital data; and

a function to convert the bit-mapped data to an external display signaland send the external display signal from said interface means A1.

Hereinbefore and hereinafter, “bit mapped type” means generally a typeof image description in which the color of pixels comprising a real orvirtual screen of a display device is specified in 8 bit data (256colors), 24 bit data (16780000 colors). Therefore, “bit-mapped data” isnot restricted in BMP (Bit Map) format data, which is a type of imagesaving format, and is also saved in a variety of saving format such asTIFF (Tagged Image File Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic ExpertsGroup), GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) and PNG (Portable NetworkGraphics) as well as BMP.

And according to the sixth invention of the present invention related toa mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided a mobileinformation communication apparatus according to the fifth invention,wherein said data processing means has the following functions: afunction to generate and send bit-mapped data, which describes an image,which is displayed on said display panel A and has the same resolutionas the screen's resolution of the display panel A, to said displaycontrol means A, when said destination assigning means assigns saiddisplay control means A as a destination of the plotting command/data;and a function to generate and send bit-mapped data, which describes animage, which is displayed on a high-resolution external display deviceconnected to said interface means A1 and has the designated resolution,when said destination assigning means assigns said interface means A1 asa destination of the plotting command/data; wherein said display controlmeans A has a function to activates each pixel of said display panel Aaccording to the bit-mapped data, which is received from said dataprocessing means; and wherein interface means A1 has a function toconvert the bit-mapped data, which is received from said data processingmeans, to an external display signal and to send it.

And according to the seventh invention of the present invention relatedto a mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided amobile information communication apparatus according to the fifth or thesixth invention, wherein said data processing means and said interfacemeans A1 are configured to perform the following functions: a functionto create a virtual screen with no lower logical resolution than thedesignated resolution and to generate bit-mapped data on the virtualscreen; and a function to cut a portion of the generated bit-mapped datadescribing an image, which is displayed on a high-resolution externaldisplay device connected to said interface means A1 and has thedesignated resolution, and to convert it to an external display signaland to send it from the interface means A1.

And according to the eighth invention of the present invention relatedto a mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided amobile information communication apparatus according to the seventhinvention, wherein a logical resolution of the virtual screen, which iscreated cooperatively by said data processing means and said interfacemeans A1, is previously fixed to that no lower than the maximum in therange of resolution, from which said resolution designating means canselect in the case that a resolution designating means is provided, and,otherwise, to that no lower than the fixed resolution, respectively.

And according to the ninth invention of the present invention related toa mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided a mobileinformation communication apparatus according to the seventh invention,wherein said data processing means and said interface means A1 areconfigured to flexibly set a logical resolution of the virtual screen tothat no lower than the maximum in the range of resolution, from whichsaid resolution designating means can select in the case that aresolution designating means is provided, and, otherwise, to that nolower than the fixed resolution, respectively.

And according to the tenth invention of the present invention related toa mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided a mobileinformation communication apparatus according to any one of the seventhto the ninth invention, wherein said data processing means are equippedwith: a central processing circuit 1 which provide aftermentionedgraphic controller 1 with a plotting command to generate bit-mapped dataon the virtual screen and with a sending command to cut a necessaryportion of the bit-mapped data and to send it at least either to saiddisplay control means A or to said interface means A1, according toassignment by said destination assigning means; a graphic controller 1which has the following functions: a function to generate bit-mappeddata on the virtual screen, according to said plotting command; afunction to write the bit-mapped data in aftermentioned bit map memory1; a function to cut a portion of the bit-mapped data describing animage from the bit map memory 1, which is displayed on said displaypanel A and has the same resolution as the display panel A, and to sendit to said display control means A, in the case that said sendingcommand commands said graphic controller 1 to send the bit-mapped datato said display control means A; and a function to cut a portion of thebit-mapped data describing an image from the bit map memory 1, which isdisplayed on a screen of an external display device connected to saidinterface means A1 and has the designated resolution, and to send it tothe interface means A1, in the case that said sending command commandssaid graphic controller 1 to send the bit-mapped data to the interfacemeans A1; and a bit map memory 1 which stores bit-mapped data, which isgenerated by said graphic controller 1 on the virtual screen.

And according to the eleventh invention of the present invention relatedto a mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided amobile information communication apparatus according to the tenthinvention, wherein said graphic controller 1 is equipped with: abit-mapped data generating circuit which generates and writes bit-mappeddata in said bit map memory 1, according to the plotting command, whichis received from said data processing means, and cutss a necessaryportion of the bit-mapped data and outputs it to aftermentionedbit-mapped data transfer circuit; and a bit-mapped data transfer circuitwhich sends the bit-mapped data, which is received from said bit-mappeddata generating circuit, at least either to said display control means Aor to said interface means A1, according to the sending command, whichis received from said bit-mapped data generating circuit.

And according to the twelfth invention of the present invention relatedto a mobile information communication apparatus, there is provided amobile information communication apparatus according to any one of theseventh to the ninth invention, wherein said data processing means has afunction to generate and send a plotting command at least either to saiddisplay control means A or to said interface means A1 according to theassignment by said destination assigning means; and wherein saidinterface means A1 is equipped with: a graphic controller 2 which hasthe following functions: a function to generate bit-mapped data on thevirtual screen, according to said plotting command, which is receivedfrom said data processing means; a function to write the bit-mapped datain aftermentioned bit map memory 2; and a function to cut a portion ofthe bit-mapped data describing an image from the bit map memory 2, whichis displayed on a screen of an external display device connected to saidinterface means A1 and has the designated resolution, and to send it toaftermentioned external display signal output means; a bit map memory 2which stores bit-mapped data on the virtual screen generated by saidgraphic controller 2; and an external display signal output means whichconverts bit-mapped data received from said graphic controller 2 to anexternal display signal and sends it.

And according to the thirteenth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according thetwelfth invention, wherein said data processing mean is equipped with: acentral processing circuit 2 which generates a plotting command; aplotting command transfer circuit which sends the plotting command,which is received from said central processing circuit 2, at leasteither to said display control means A or to said interface means A1according to the assignment by said destination assigning means.

And according to the fourteenth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone of the fifth to the thirteenth invention, wherein said interfacemeans A1 has a function to convert bit-mapped data, which is receivedfrom said data processing means or is generated by the interface meansA1, to a digital signal, which is transmitted in the format of any oneof digital RGB, TMDS, LVDS (or LDI) and GVIF, and to send it to aconnected external display device.

And according to the fifteenth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone of the fifth to the thirteenth invention, wherein said interfacemeans A1 has a function to convert bit-mapped data, which is receivedfrom said data processing means or is generated by the interface meansA1, to an analog signal, which is transmitted in the format of any oneof analog RGB, composite video signal, separate video signal andcomponent video signal, and send it a connected external display device.

And according to the sixteenth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone of the first to the fifteenth invention, further comprising abuilt-in battery; wherein an external terminal, which comprise a saidinterface means A1, has a charge terminal A to charge said built-inbattery, in addition to a signal terminal to send an external displaysignal to a connected external display device.

And according to the seventeenth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone of the first to the sixteenth invention, further comprising: aninterface means A2 which receives external input data, makes necessaryprocesses on and sends it to said data processing means, wherein“external input data” means “data inputted by a connected external inputdevice”; and a source assigning means which assigns at least either saiddata input means or the external input device, as an input source ofinput data for said data processing means.

And according to the eighteenth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to theseventeenth invention, further comprising a data transmit means, whichreceives at least either input data from said data input means or inputdata from said interface means A2 according to the assignment of saidsource assigning means and makes necessary processes on and sends it tosaid data processing means.

And according to the nineteenth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to theseventeenth or the eighteenth invention, wherein an external terminalcomposing said interface means A1 and an external terminal composingsaid interface means A2 are components of an integral externalconnection terminal part A.

And according to the twentieth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone of the seventeenth to the nineteenth invention, further comprisingan interface means A3 which exchanges data between a connected externalstorage device; wherein said data processing means has a function towrite and/or read out data by accessing the external storage device.

And according to the twenty-first invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to thetwentieth invention, wherein an external terminal composing saidinterface means A1 and an external terminal composing said interfacemeans A3 are components of an integral external connection terminal partA′.

And according to the twenty-second invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyon of the first to the twenty-first invention, wherein said data sendingand receiving means and said data processing means are configured toperform the following functions: a function to send a wireless signalwhich includes user-agent information and conforms to the InternetProtocol; a function to acquire a data file from a web server, which isconnected to the Internet, by receiving a wireless signal which conformsto the Internet Protocol; and a function to generate plottingcommand/data by directly processing the data file in real time and/or byreading out and processing the data file, which is once stored in saidstorage means.

And according to the twenty-third invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according totwenty-second invention, wherein said data sending and receiving meansand said data processing means are configured so that said user-agentinformation includes information which specifies whether saiddestination assigning means assigns said interface means A1 as adestination of plotting command/data or not.

And according to the twenty-fourth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone of the first and the twenty-third invention, wherein said datasending and receiving means has a function to receive and convert awireless moving image signal to a digital signal and send the digitalsignal to said data processing means, wherein “a wireless moving imagesignal” means “any one of wireless signals of an analog TV signal, adigital TV signal, a mobile TV telephone signal and a wireless streamingsignal which conforms to the Internet Protocol”; and wherein said dataprocessing means has a function to generate plotting command/data bydirectly processing the digital signal in real time and/or by readingout and processing a processable data file, in which the digital signalis once stored in said storage means.

And according to the twenty-fifth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus to any one of thefirst to the twenty-fourth invention, further comprising an imagingmeans which converts light from a subject to an electrical image signalby imaging elements such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) and a CMOS(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, and, moreover,converts the electrical image signal to a digital signal and sends thedigital signal to said data processing means, wherein “an electricalimage signal” means “an electrical signal of each pixel to which lightis converted by imaging elements”; wherein said data processing meanshas a function to generate plotting command/data by directly processingthe digital signal in real time and/or by reading out and processing aprocessable data file, in which the digital signal is once stored insaid storage means.

And according to the twenty-sixth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone of the twenty-second to the twenty-fifth invention, wherein saiddata processing means has a function to generate plotting command/dataof a page image, which is divided into several frames in some cases, byprocessing one or more markup document files and its linked files, whichis acquired from a web server cooperatively by said data sending andreceiving means and said data processing means, or by processing one ormore markup document files and its linked files, which are stored insaid storage means, wherein “markup document files” means “documentfiles described in HTML, XML or any markup language based on HTML orXML”.

And according to the twenty-seventh invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to thetwenty-sixth invention, wherein said data processing means and saiddisplay control means A are configured to display a page image on saiddisplay panel A, in which text automatically moves to next linecorresponding to the screen's horizontal resolution of the display panelA, when the data processing means processes a markup document with aliquid layout and said destination assigning means assigns the displaycontrol means A as a destination of the plotting command/data;

and wherein said data processing means and said interface means A1 areconfigured to send an external display signal which a high-resolutionexternal display device connected to the interface means A1 receives andproperly processes, so that a page image, in which text automaticallymoves to next line corresponding to the horizontal resolution of thedesignated resolution, can be displayed on the screen of thehigh-resolution external display, when the data processing meansprocesses a markup document with a liquid layout and said destinationassigning means assigns the interface means Alas a destination of theplotting command/data.

And according to the twenty-eighth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to thetwenty-sixth invention, wherein said data processing means and saiddisplay control means A are configured to display a part image on saiddisplay panel A, which is cut from a page image corresponding to thescreen's horizontal resolution of the display panel A, when the dataprocessing means processes a markup document with a fixed-width layout,of which width is wider than the screen's horizontal resolution of thedisplay panel A and narrower than the horizontal resolution of thedesignated resolution and said destination assigning means assigns thedisplay control means A as a destination of the plotting command/data;and wherein said data processing means and said interface means A1 areconfigured to send an external display signal which a high-resolutionexternal display device connected to the interface means A1 receives andproperly processes, so that a horizontal whole of a page image can bedisplayed on the screen of the high-resolution external display, whenthe data processing means processes a markup document with a fixed-widthlayout, of which width is wider than the screen's horizontal resolutionof the display panel A and narrower than the horizontal resolution ofthe designated resolution and said destination assigning means assignsthe interface means Alas a destination of the plotting command/data.

And according to the twenty-ninth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to thetwenty-second and twenty-eighth invention, wherein said data processingmeans has a function to process a digital image signal or an image datafile and to generate plotting command/data of the whole image of theintrinsic image of said digital image signal or said image data file,wherein “a digital image signal” means “a digital signal, to which awireless moving image signal, which is received by said data sending andreceiving means, is converted, or a digital signal, to which anelectrical image signal is converted”, “an image data file” means “animage data file stored in said storage means” and “an intrinsic image ofa digital image signal or an image data file” means “an image with itsintrinsic resolution, which is displayed on a display means, when thedisplay means properly processes the digital image signal or the imagedata file”.

And according to the thirtieth invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to thetwenty-ninth invention, wherein said data processing means and saiddisplay control means A are configured to display an image on saiddisplay panel A, which represents the whole of the object of theintrinsic image of said digital image signal or said image data file buthas no higher resolution than the screen's resolution of the displaypanel A by thinning out a part of the digital image signal or a part ofdata of the image data file, when the resolution of the intrinsic imageis higher than the display panel A and said destination assigning meansassigns the display control means A as a destination of the plottingcommand/data; and wherein said data processing means and said interfacemeans A1 are configured to send an external display signal which ahigh-resolution external display device connected to the interface meansA1 receives and properly processes, so that the intrinsic image of adigital image signal or an image data can be displayed on the screen ofthe high-resolution external display, when the resolution of theintrinsic image is higher than the display panel A and said destinationassigning means assigns the interface means Alas a destination of theplotting command/data.

And according to the thirty-first invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to thetwenty-ninth invention, wherein said data processing means and saiddisplay control means A are configured to display a part image on saiddisplay panel A, which is cut from the intrinsic image of said digitalimage signal or said image data corresponding to the screen's resolutionof the display panel A, when the resolution of the intrinsic image ishigher than the display panel A and said destination assigning meansassigns the display control means A as a destination of the plottingcommand/data; and wherein said data processing means and said interfacemeans A1 are configured to send an external display signal which ahigh-resolution external display device connected to the interface meansA1 receives and properly processes, so that the intrinsic image of adigital image signal or an image data can be displayed on the screen ofthe high-resolution external display, when the resolution of theintrinsic image is higher than the display panel A and said destinationassigning means assigns the interface means Alas a destination of theplotting command/data.

And according to the thirty-second invention of the present inventionrelated to a mobile information communication apparatus, there isprovided a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone of the twenty-ninth to the twenty-ninth to thirty-first invention,wherein said data sending and receiving means has a function to receiveand convert a GPS signal to a digital signal, which can be processed bysaid data processing means, and send the digital signal to the dataprocessing means, wherein “a GPS signal” means “a wireless signal sentfrom GPS satellite”; and wherein said data processing means has afunction to generate plotting command/data of a map image including itspresent location information in real time by processing said digitalsignal and either said wireless moving image signal or said image datafile which includes map information.

And according to the thirty-third invention of the present inventionrelated to a connection unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided a connection unit used alongwith a mobile information communication apparatus according to anyone ofthe first to the twenty-first invention, the connection unit comprising:an interface means B1 which is connected to an interface means A1 of themobile information communication apparatus and receives an externaldisplay signal; and an interface means C1 between an external displaydevice.

And according to the thirty-fourth invention of the present inventionrelated to a connection unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided a connection unit used alongwith a mobile information communication apparatus according to any oneof the seventeenth to the twenty-first invention, the connection unitcomprising: an interface means B1 which is connected to an interfacemeans A1 of the mobile information communication apparatus and receivesan external display signal; an interface means B2 which is connected toan interface means A2 of the mobile information communication apparatusand sends external input data; an interface means C1 between an externaldisplay device; and an interface means C2 between an external inputdevice.

And according to the thirty-fifth invention of the present inventionrelated to a connection unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided a connection unit used alongwith a mobile information communication apparatus according to thetwentieth or twenty-first invention, the connection unit comprising: anexternal storage means into which data is written and/or from which datais read out via aftermentioned interface means B3; an interface means B1which is connected to an interface means A1 of the mobile informationcommunication apparatus and receives an external display signal; aninterface means B2 which is connected to an interface means A2 of themobile information communication apparatus and sends external inputdata; an interface means C1 between an external display device; aninterface means C2 between an external input device; and an interfacemeans B3 which is connected to said interface means A3 of the mobileinformation communication apparatus and exchanges data between saidexternal storage means; wherein the abovementioned means are integratedin a virtually unified manner.

And according to the thirty-sixth invention of the present inventionrelated to a connection unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided a connection unit accordingto any one of thirty-third to thirty-fifth invention, further comprisinga scan converting means which receives an external display signal viasaid interface means B1 and converts the external display signal to adisplay signal conforming to a screen's resolution and/or a scanningtype of an external display device connected to said interface means C1.

And according to the thirty-seventh invention of the present inventionrelated to a connection unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided a connection unit accordingto any one of thirty-third to thirty-sixth invention, wherein it is usedalong with a mobile information communication with a built-in batteryand charge terminal A to charge the built-in battery; furthercomprising: a DC power supply; and an external terminal, which comprisessaid interface means B1, has a charge terminal B, which is connected tosaid charge terminal A and supplies said built-in battery with DC powerfrom said DC power supply, to charge said built-in battery, in additionto a signal terminal to send an external display signal to a connectedexternal display device.

And according to the thirty-eighth invention of the present inventionrelated to an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided an external input/output unitused along with a mobile information communication apparatus accordingto any one of seventeenth to twenty-first invention, the externalinput/output unit comprising: an external display means which iscomposed of a display panel D, on which an image is displayed as aresult of an activation of pixels comprising its screen, and a displaycontrol means D, which activates each pixel of said display panel Daccording to external display data received via aftermentioned interfacemeans D1; an external data input means by which a user inputs data by amanual operation; an interface means D1 which is connected to aninterface means A1 of the mobile information communication apparatus andto said display control means D; and an interface means D2 which isconnected to an interface means A2 of the mobile informationcommunication apparatus and to said external data input means; whereinthe abovementioned means are integrated in a virtually unified manner.

And according to the thirty-ninth invention of the present inventionrelated to an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided an external input/output unitused along with a mobile information communication apparatus accordingto the twentieth or the twenty-first invention, the externalinput/output unit comprising: an external display means which iscomposed of a display panel D, on which an image is displayed as aresult of an activation of pixels comprising its screen, and a displaycontrol means D, which activates each pixel of said display panel Daccording to external display data received via aftermentioned interfacemeans D1; an external data input means by which a user inputs data by amanual operation; an external storage means into which data is writtenand/or from which data is read out via aftermentioned interface meansD3; an interface means D1 which is connected to an interface means A1 ofthe mobile information communication apparatus and to said displaycontrol means D; an interface means D2 which is connected to aninterface means A2 of the mobile information communication apparatus andto said external data input means; and an interface means D3 which isconnected to said interface means A3 of the mobile informationcommunication apparatus and exchanges data between said external storagemeans; wherein the abovementioned means are integrated in a virtuallyunified manner.

And according to the fortieth invention of the present invention relatedto an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided an external input/output unitaccording to the thirty-eighth or thirty-ninth invention, wherein saidinterface means D1 and said display control means D are configured toperform a multiscan function to convert an external display signal,which is received via the interface means D1, to a display signalconforming to a screen's resolution and/or a scanning type of saiddisplay panel D.

And according to the forty-first invention of the present inventionrelated to an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided an external input/output unitaccording to any one of the thirty-eighth to the fortieth invention,wherein said external display means has a touch panel function whichenables for a user to input data by touching a surface of the displaypanel D comprising the external display means.

And according to the forty-second invention of the present inventionrelated to an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided an external input/output unitaccording to any one of the thirty-eighth to the forty-first invention,wherein it is used along with a mobile information communication with abuilt-in battery and charge terminal A to charge the built-in battery;further comprising: a DC power supply; and an external terminal, whichcomprises said interface means D1, has a charge terminal D, which isconnected to said charge terminal A and supplies said built-in batterywith DC power from said DC power supply, to charge said built-inbattery, in addition to a signal terminal to send an external displaysignal to a connected external display device.

And according to the forty-third invention of the present inventionrelated to an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided an external input/output unitaccording to any one of the thirty-eighth to the forty-second invention,wherein the followings are installed inside of the unified chassis: acircuit comprising said interface means D1; a circuit comprising saidinterface means D2; said external storage means, if installed; and acircuit composing said interface means D3, if installed; wherein keyscomprising said external data input means are installed on the topsurface of the chassis; wherein the following terminals are installed onthe side surface or on the bottom surface of the chassis: an externalterminal comprising said interface means D1; an external terminalcomprising said interface means D2; and an external terminal comprisingsaid said interface means D3, if installed; wherein said display panel Dand the chassis are hinged together.

And according to the forty-fourth invention of the present inventionrelated to an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, there is provided an external input/output unitaccording to any one of the thirty-eighth to the forty-second invention,wherein the followings are installed inside of the unified chassis: acircuit comprising said interface means D1; a circuit comprising saidinterface means D2; said external storage means, if installed; and acircuit composing said interface means D3, if installed; wherein saiddisplay panel D is installed on the top surface of the chassis; whereinthe following terminals are installed on the side surface or on thebottom surface of the chassis: an external terminal comprising saidinterface means D1; an external terminal comprising said interface meansD2; and an external terminal comprising said said interface means D3, ifinstalled; wherein keys comprising said external data input means areinstalled in a frame part of said display panel D installed on the topsurface of the chassis.

In a mobile information communication apparatus according to any one ofthe first to the fifteenth invention, a higher-resolution image, whichhas a higher resolution than a screen's resolution of a display panelbelonging to a mobile information communication apparatus, can bedisplayed on a high-resolution external display device connected to aninterface means A1 of a mobile information communication apparatus, bysending a higher-resolution external display signal to thehigh-resolution external display device. Herewith, a whole image with anintrinsic resolution can be displayed on a high-resolution externaldisplay device, even if only a part image or a whole image with poorquality, of which pixels are thinned out, can be displayed on a displaypanel belonging to a mobile information communication apparatus. Since,especially, a function is realized to send a horizontallyhigher-resolution external display signal, of which a horizontalintrinsic number of pixels is larger than a screen's horizontalresolution of a display panel belonging to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, number of characters, which are displayed in aline of a high-resolution external display device, can be increased morethan that in a line of a display panel belonging to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus. Herewith, such a situation can be avoided thatit is difficult to understand a long e-mail because its text extends inso many lines as to be rolled down frequently.

Moreover, a function to send a higher-resolution external display signalis realized only by a data processing means, which is indispensable todisplay an image on a display panel belonging to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, and an interface means, which is indispensableto be connected with an external display device. Therefore, it is notnecessary for a mobile information communication apparatus to beequipped with a special display data generating means for an externaldisplay device, which is indispensable in conventional technologies,separately from a display data processing means which is originallyequipped to a mobile information communication apparatus. Thus, theproblem of “irrational overlapping investment” and “inefficient resourceuse” can be avoided.

Especially according to the second invention, a higher-resolution screenimage can be displayed in full screen on a screen of a high-performanceexternal display device, which has a multiscan function and has a highenough screen's resolution, by connecting the high-performance externaldisplay device to a interface means A1 of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus. In the case, for example, a mobile informationcommunication apparatus has a display panel with a screen's resolutionof QVGA and has a function to send a higher-resolution external displaysignal of which intrinsic resolution is XGA (horizontal resolution:vertical resolution=4:3), a screen image of XGA, that is larger than ascreen's resolution of a display panel belonging to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus (QVGA), can be displayed in full screen on ascreen of high-performance external display device, when thehigh-performance external display device, which has a multiscan functionand has a screen's resolution of SXGA (Super XGA)(horizontal×vertical=1280×1024 pixels), is connected to a interfacemeans A1 of a mobile information communication apparatus.

The same effect is also realized by connecting an interface means A1 ofa mobile information communication apparatus and a high-resolutionexternal display device via a connection unit which has a function toupscan an intrinsic resolution of a higher-resolution external displaysignal to a screen's resolution of a high-resolution external displaydevice. In the case, for example, a mobile information communicationapparatus has a display panel with a screen's resolution of QVGA and hasa function to send a higher-resolution external display signal of whichintrinsic resolution is XGA, and, on the other hand, a high-resolutionexternal display device is a so-called “full high-vision TV monitor”(horizontal×vertical=1920×1080 pixels), a screen image of XGA, that islarger than a screen's resolution of a display panel belonging to amobile information communication apparatus (QVGA), can be displayed infull screen on a screen of the full high-vision TV monitor, if the fullhigh-vision TV monitor and the interface means A1 of a mobileinformation communication apparatus are connected with each other via aconnection unit with a necessary upscan function.

Since, however, horizontal-vertical ratio of XGA and that of fullhigh-vision size is different each other, there can be nothing to bedisplayed around both end of the screen. And a smooth image, of whichresolution is larger than XGA, can be displayed by adding a pixelinterpolation function to the connection unit.

On the other hand, especially according to the third invention, ahigher-resolution screen image is displayed in full screen on ahigh-resolution external display device without using a display devicewith a multiscan function, by selecting a suitable display device with aresolution corresponding to a previously fixed resolution fromcandidates of commonly used display devices such as a PC display deviceand a TV monitor, and by using it as the high-resolution externaldisplay device. And especially according to the fourth invention, ahigher-resolution screen image is displayed in full screen on ahigh-resolution external display device, by using a suitable commonlyused display such as a PC display device and a TV monitor as thehigh-resolution external display device and by selecting and assigningthe screen's resolution of a high-resolution external display device bya resolution designating means.

Note that in the case a high-performance external display device with amultiscan function is used as a high-resolution external display device,a screen image with the designated resolution can be displayed in fullscreen on the screen of the high-performance external display device,only if the designated resolution is lower than the screen's resolutionof the high-performance external display, even if the designatedresolution is not equal to the screen's resolution of thehigh-performance external display.

And especially to the fourteenth or fifteenth invention, a displaydevice with a commonly used type of interface means is adopted as ahigh-resolution external display device. Especially according to thefourteenth invention, since signal conversion of “digital (bit-mappeddata)->analog->digital” becomes dispensable in the case a digitaldisplay device such as a liquid crystal display device is used as ahigh-resolution external display device, image degradation due to asignal conversion can be avoided. On the other hand, according to thefifteenth invention, a TV monitor and a commonly used PC display devicewith an analog RGB interface, such as VGA connector or so on, can beused as a high-resolution external display device.

According to the sixteenth invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, when a higher-resolution image is displayed ona screen of a high-resolution external display device connected to aninterface means A1 of a mobile information communication apparatus, abuilt-in battery of the mobile information communication apparatus canbe charged by being supplied with electrical power, via a chargeterminal A, from the high-resolution external display device, aconnection unit connecting said interface means A1 and thehigh-resolution external display device, an external input/output unitunifying a connection unit and external display devices, or so on.

According to any one of the seventeenth to the nineteenth invention of amobile information communication apparatus, not only a higher-resolutionimage can be displayed on a screen of a screen of a high-resolutionexternal display device connected to an interface means A1 of a mobileinformation communication apparatus, but also data can be inputted witha full keyboard by connecting a full keyboard to an interface means A2of the mobile information communication apparatus.

Hereinbefore and hereinafter, “full size keyboard such as Japanese 106keyboard and Japanese 109 keyboard, which are of JIS (JapaneseIndustrial Standard) key arrangement” is referred as “full keyboard”.

In the first place, in a mobile telephone unit and other mobileinformation communication apparatuses, character input operations byusing its own attached operation keys, such as editing of an e-mail, anentry of URL of a web site, character input to an entry form in a webpage, and editing of addresses in a telephone directory, are increased.Despite this, operationality of character input is bad in a mobileinformation communication apparatus, because its own attached operationkeys are smaller than those of a full keyboard and a center distancebetween neighboring keys is also smaller due to a constraint ofportability. Especially, in the case of a mobile telephone unit, sinceoperation keys are restricted to a few keys composed of numeric keys andseveral function keys, in order to input, for example, the fifthcharacter of the Japanese syllabary, such operations as to push acertain numeric key (normally key of “1”), which is assigned to firstline of the Japanese syllabary (“kana”), five times after changing aninput mode to Japanese input mode by using function keys. Therefore, itis very stressful for a user to input a number of characters, in such acase of editing a long e-mail.

In contrast, according to any one of the seventeenth to nineteenthinvention of a mobile information communication apparatus, a problem ofa constraint in data input, as well as a screen constraint due to itsportability, is reduced or is solved. In fact, only by connecting anexternal display device, such as a commonly used PC display device to aninterface means A1, and connecting an external input device such as afull keyboard to an interface A2, almost the same operationability asthat in the conventional case that both of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus and a PC are used, as far as such operations asediting, sending and receiving of e-mail, browsing of a web page, abi-directional communication using the Internet or so on.

On the other hand, according to any one of the seventeenth to nineteenthinvention of a mobile information communication apparatus, it sometimesmore convenient to connect the invented mobile information communicationapparatus to an external display device and an external input device,than that both a conventional mobile information communication apparatusand a PC are used as described below:

A user, who possesses a PC along with a conventional mobile informationcommunication apparatus, is usually required to have two e-mailaddresses, one of which is of a mobile information communicationapparatus and the other of which is of a PC, and is also required tocheck delivery status of e-mails of both of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus and a PC. Some Internet service provider provideservices that an e-mail sent to one and the same address can be receivedby both of a mobile information communication apparatus and a PC. Inthis case, however, such an inconvenience, that an e-mail received by aPC is not recorded in a receiving history in a mobile informationcommunication apparatus and vice versa, occurs, since mailer software ofthe mobile information communication apparatus is different from that ofthe PC. And an extra effort is required to edit both an address list ina mobile information communication apparatus and that in a PC.

Moreover, when, for example, a use comes back to the circumstance, inwhich he can use a PC, from the situation, in which he is just browsinga web page outside with a mobile information communication apparatus,another extra effort is required to start up a PC and reentry URL of theweb page, although the mobile information communication apparatus hasalready been connected to the web site. Also, when a use comes back tothe circumstance, in which he can use a PC, from the situation, in whichhe is just inputting e-mail text outside by operating operation keys ofa mobile information communication apparatus, it is required to start upa PC and start to input text from its beginning. Thus, it is impossibleto move smoothly from a work on a mobile information communicationapparatus to that on a PC, and there is a problem that it takes longerto start up a PC than to start up a mobile telephone unit.

In contrast, according to any one of the seventeenth to the nineteenthinvention of a mobile information communication apparatus, in the casethat the invented mobile information communication apparatus is used inconnection with an external display device and an external input device,data is processed consistently by a data processing means belonging tothe mobile information communication apparatus, and necessaryinformation, such as an e-mail address or so on, is stored in a storagemeans such as a flash, which belongs to the mobile informationcommunication apparatus. Herewith, even when a user comes back home orto a office from outside, he can smoothly continue his work, only byconnecting the mobile information communication apparatus with anexternal display device and an external input device. Also it is notnecessary to duplicates to manage data, as in the case both a mobileinformation communication apparatus and a PC is used.

Moreover, according to any one of the invention of the seventeenth andnineteenth invention of a mobile information communication apparatus,the effect to reduce wasteful use of resources is expected.

Function of a PC is rapidly upgraded corresponding mainly to versionupgrade of OS and CPU and, as a result, a PC is replaced in interval ofseven to ten years. On this occasion, it is usual to dispose of not onlya PC package including mother board implemented with a CPU and memoriesbut also a display device, full keyboard and an external storage devicesuch as HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

In contrast, in the case that the invented mobile informationcommunication apparatus is used in connection with an external displaydevice and an external input device, since, in the first place, themobile information communication apparatus is usable by itself, it isonly necessary to replace the mobile information communication apparatuswith the remainder being used as before, even when a CPU and other dataprocessing means is revised to a higher-performance and former onesbecome obsolete. As a result, such a mass disposal caused by replacementas in the case of a PC does not occur.

According to the twentieth or the twenty-first invention of a mobileinformation communication apparatus, a data processing means belongingto the mobile information communication apparatus can write data to orread out data from an external storage device, by connecting theexternal storage device to an interface means A3 of the mobileinformation communication apparatus. Herewith, contents, such as imagesdownloaded from a web site, moving images recorded from TV broadcast,game programs and so on, and image files imaged by such imaging means asdigital camera, digital video recorder and so on, are stored in theexternal storage device instead of a storage means belonging to themobile information communication apparatus. And also, by using anexternal storage device for supplying application programs, such asCD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) drive, DVD (Digital VersatileDisc or Digital Video Disc)-ROM drive, or so on, a user can copyapplication programs, which are stored in CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or so on, to astorage means belonging to the mobile information communicationapparatus such as flash memory or so on and he can activates a dataprocessing means by the application programs.

In a conventional mobile telephone unit, indeed, it is possible to copycontents file, such as image files acquired by communication means orimaging means, to a storage device belonging to a PC or so on by using aremovable storage media such as a memory card. In this case, however,user must follow the following procedure: Contents files stored in astorage means belonging to a mobile telephone unit is copied to aremovable storage media; The removable storage media is removed from themobile telephone unit and then inserted into a media drive of a PC or soon: The contents files are copied to the storage media such as HDD byactivating the HDD belonging to the PC.

In contrast, according to the twentieth or the twenty-first invention ofa mobile information communication apparatus, since a data processingmeans of the mobile information communication apparatus can directlyaccess an external storage device, it is possible to copy files directlyfrom a storage means belonging to the mobile information communicationapparatus to an external storage device.

According to any one of the twenty-second to the twenty-third inventionof a mobile information communication apparatus, when a web page in webserver connected to the Internet is browsed, or contents files such asimage files, game programs or so on are acquired from a web server,images corresponding to the web page or contents files can be displayedon a screen of a high-resolution external display device, which isconnected to an interface means A1 of the mobile informationcommunication apparatus, in addition on a display panel belonging to themobile information communication apparatus as before. On this occasion,additionally, a higher-resolution image with a higher resolution thanthe screen's resolution of the display panel belonging to the mobileinformation communication apparatus, without any constraint due toscreen's resolution of display panel belonging to the mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

Especially according to the twenty-third invention, in association withCGI (Common Gateway Interface) or PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) function,such an “automatic sorting to a proper web site” function is realized asfollows: When a destination assigning means of the invented mobileinformation communication apparatus assigns an interface means A1 as adestination of plotting command/data, that is, when a higher-resolutionimage is displayed on a high-resolution external display device, a website, which, for example, includes web pages with a fixed-width layoutof VGA or XGA, is accessed; Otherwise, that is, a image is displayedonly on a display panel belonging to the mobile informationcommunication apparatus, a web site, which is composed only by web pageswith a liquid layout or fixed-width layout of small horizontalresolution.

According to the twenty-fourth invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, a moving image carried by a wireless movingimage signal is displayed in real time on a screen of a high-resolutionexternal display device connected to an interface means A1 of theinvented mobile information communication apparatus, in addition on adisplay panel belonging to the mobile information communicationapparatus. On this occasion, additionally, a higher-resolution imagewith a higher resolution than the screen's resolution of the displaypanel belonging to the mobile information communication apparatus,without any constraint due to screen's resolution of display panelbelonging to the mobile information communication apparatus.

Also, a moving image carried by a wireless moving image signal isrecorded and converted to a moving image data file. The moving imagedata file can be stored in a storage means belonging to the mobileinformation communication apparatus and is read out and played backlater. On this occasion, a moving image can be played back not only on adisplay panel belonging to the mobile information communicationapparatus but also on an external display with a higher resolution.

According to the twenty-fourth invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, a subject is imaged with the invented mobileinformation communication apparatus and a moving image of the subject isdisplayed in real time on a screen of a high-resolution external displaydevice connected to an interface means A1 of the invented mobileinformation communication apparatus, in addition on a display panelbelonging to the mobile information communication apparatus. On thisoccasion, a moving image can be played back not only on a display panelbelonging to the mobile information communication apparatus but also onan external display with a higher resolution.

Also, a still image or a moving image, which is imaged by the mobileinformation communication apparatus, is converted to a data file. Andthe data file can be stored in a storage means belonging to the mobileinformation communication apparatus and is read out and played backlater. On this occasion, a moving image can be played back not only on adisplay panel belonging to the mobile information communicationapparatus but also on an external display with a higher resolution.

According to any one of the twenty-sixth to the twenty-eighth inventionof a mobile information communication apparatus, markup document filesand their linked files, which is acquired from a web server, or isstored in a storage means is processed and a page image corresponding tothese files is displayed on a screen of a high-resolution externaldisplay device connected to an interface means A1 of the mobileinformation communication apparatus, in addition on a display panelbelonging to the mobile information communication apparatus.

Especially, when a user connects to a web site for PC and browses a webpage, which is intended to be browsed with a screen of, for example,VGA, by the mobile information communication apparatus, a whole pageimage is browsed not only on a display panel belonging to the mobileinformation communication apparatus by horizontally scrolling frequentlybut also, in a similar layout as a screen image on a PC, on a screen ofa high-resolution external display device connected to an interfacemeans A1 of the mobile information communication apparatus without anyhorizontal scrolling.

According to any one of the twenty-ninth to the thirty-second inventionof a mobile information communication apparatus, an intrinsic image ofsaid digital image signal or said image data file can be displayed on ascreen of a high-resolution external display device connected to aninterface means A1 of the mobile information communication apparatus.Especially, in the case that a resolution of an intrinsic image ishigher than a screen's resolution of a display panel belonging to themobile information communication apparatus, an intrinsic image can bedisplayed on a screen of a high-resolution external display device,although a whole image with a lower resolution generated by thinning outa part of the signal or the data or a part image.

Especially, according to the thirty-second invention of a mobileinformation communication apparatus, a map image including its presentlocation information is displayed on a screen of a high-resolutionexternal display device connected to an interface means A1 of the mobileinformation communication apparatus, in addition on a display panelbelonging to the mobile information communication apparatus.

A navigation service using GPS is provided as a service for a mobiletelephone unit, and, recently, so-called “NAVI for front-seat passenger”service has come to be provided, that provide with traffic jaminformation and traffic route information to a destination, in additionto normal navigation information. In the first place, however, a displaydevise belonging to a mobile telephone unit is so small that it islegally and practically impossible for a driver himself to browse mapinformation because he has to hold a mobile telephone unit in front ofhis eyes. Therefore, this service is assumed that a front-seat passengerbrowses map information.

In contrast, according to the thirty-second invention of a mobileinformation communication apparatus, a driver himself can browse mapinformation with his hand free, by placing a high-resolution externaldisplay device with a comparable size as that of a display panel part ofa normal car navigation system to a comparable position as that of anormal car navigation system.

According to any one of the thirty-third to the thirty-sixth inventionof a connection unit applied to a mobile information communicationapparatus, by connecting a mobile information communication apparatusand a high-resolution external display device via the inventedconnection unit, the following merits can be gained, compared with thecase of a direct connection of a mobile information communicationapparatus and a high-resolution external display device.

Firstly, in a mobile information communication apparatus, a terminalpart comprising an interface means A1 must be designed to be small andspecially different from that which is commonly used for a PC and so on,because its portability is valued. By this reason, connection cableconnected to the terminal part is also so special that it is difficultto prepare a variety of cables with different length, and, therefore,the positional relation between a mobile information communicationapparatus and a high-resolution external display device positionalrelationship is naturally subjected to a restraint, if they areconnected with each other directly by a connection cable.

In contrast, in the case that they are connected with each other via theinvented connection unit, a mobile information communication apparatusand a high-resolution external display device are connected with eachother comparatively freely by connecting an interface means A1, aninterface means B1 and a high-resolution external display device asfollows: An interface means A1 and an interface means B1 are connectedwith each other by a special cable; An interface means B2 and ahigh-resolution external display device are connected with each other bya commonly used cable, by making a terminal of an interface means B2 acommonly used terminal conforming a high-resolution external displaydevice. As a result, a mobile information communication apparatus and ahigh-resolution external display device are placed in a free positionalrelation.

A mobile information communication apparatus and a high-resolutionexternal display device are, indeed, connected not only by a connectioncable but also by a wireless connection means. In such a case, however,securer communication, which can avoid the problem of approach range andobstacle of wireless communication, is realized by using the inventedconnection unit in as follows: An interface means A1 and an interfacemeans B1 are connected with each other by wired connection means; Aninterface means B2 and a high-resolution external display device areconnected with each other by wireless connection means. And vice versais also possible.

Secondly, in the case that a mobile information communication apparatusis connected with an external input device, such as full keyboard,and/or an external storage device, such as HDD, in addition with ahigh-resolution external display device, a connection of a mobileinformation communication apparatus and an external devices can besimplified by using the invented connection unit as follows: At the sideof a mobile information communication apparatus, a terminal comprisingan interface means A1, a terminal comprising an interface means A2,and/or a terminal comprising an interface means A3 are unified; At theside of the invented connection unit, a terminal comprising an interfacemeans B1, a terminal comprising an interface means B2, and/or a terminalcomprising an interface means B3 are unified; Both of unified terminalsare connected with each other.

And in this case, the invented connection unit connected with a mobileinformation communication apparatus is used in a similar image as usinga desktop PC, by improving a connection between the mobile informationcommunication apparatus and the connection unit in such a manner asfollows: An external storage device such as HDD and DC power supplymeans such as AC/DC circuit, battery and so on is installed in a chassiscomprising the invented connection unit; The chassis is also equippedwith an insert slot, to which a mobile information communicationapparatus is inserted to result in a connection of a terminal part of amobile information communication apparatus and that of the inventedconnection unit by direct touch.

Note that the invented connection unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus only takes only a role of an interface between amobile information communication apparatus and external devices, and isnot equipped with its own display data generating means to generatedisplay data, separately from a data processing means belonging to amobile information communication apparatus as the first typeconventional technology described in “Background Art”. Therefore, theproblem of “irrational overlapping investment” and “inefficient resourceuse, which occurs in conventional technologies, does not occur.

According to any one of the thirty-eighth to the forty-fourth inventionof an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, by connecting and using the invented externalinput/output unit with a mobile information communication, the followingmerits can be gained, compared with the case that a mobile informationcommunication apparatus and a high-resolution external display areconnected with each other directly or via a connection unit.

Firstly, a connection of a mobile information communication apparatusand external devices can be simplified, because an interface means to amobile information communication apparatus, an external display meansand an external means such as a keyboard, and even an external storagemeans such as HDD are unified in to a chassis. A connection of a mobileinformation communication apparatus and both an external display meansand an external input means can be simplified, especially in thefollowing manner: At the side of a mobile information communicationapparatus, a terminal comprising an interface means A1, a terminalcomprising an interface means A2, and/or a terminal comprising aninterface means A3 are unified; At the side of the invented externalinput/output unit, a terminal comprising an interface means D1, aterminal comprising an interface means D2, and/or a terminal comprisingan interface means D3 are unified; Both of unified terminals areconnected with each other.

And in this case, the invented external input/output unit connected witha mobile information communication apparatus is used in a similar imageas using a notebook PC, by installing an external storage device such asHDD and a battery inside of a chassis comprising the invented externalinput/output unit and connecting the battery with an AC/DC circuit andcommercial power supply plug.

Note that a mobile information communication apparatus and the inventedexternal input/output unit are connected with each other by a specialcable to results in a restraint in positional relationship because ofthe reason described in the description related to a connection unitapplied to a mobile information communication apparatus. It is notserious problem, however, since mobile information communicationapparatus and the invented external input/output unit are originallyassumed to be used comparatively in a neighborhood because of notebookPC-like usage.

Especially according to the forty-first or the forty-fourth invention, aexternal input/output unit is made into a compact structure, since anexternal input means are installed in a external display panel belongingto an external input/output unit, and/or, in a frame part a externaldisplay panel. Therefore, it is convenient that a mobile informationcommunication apparatus according to any one of seventeenth to thetwenty-first invention and an external input/output unit according tothe forty-first or the forty-fourth invention are combined and thecombination is used as a car navigation system.

Note that in the case the combination of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus according to any one of seventeenth to thetwenty-first invention and a an external input/output unit according tothe forty-first or the forty-fourth invention is used as a carnavigation system, it is possible to construct car-mounted hands-freetelephone call system can be constructed in the following manner: Amobile telephone unit with a telephone call function is used as a mobileinformation communication apparatus; An external input/output unit isequipped with an external speaker and an external microphone; A functionto exchange sound data is added to an interface between a mobileinformation communication apparatus and an external input/output unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thefirst embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, a connection unit applied to a mobileinformation communication apparatus and an information communicationsystem which is composed by connecting a mobile informationcommunication apparatus and a connection unit and then connecting bothof an external display device and external keyboard to a connectionunit.

FIG. 2 is an outline diagram showing a constitution of the firstembodiment of the present invention of an information communicationsystem which is composed by connecting a mobile informationcommunication apparatus and a connection unit applied to a mobileinformation communication apparatus and then connecting both of anexternal display device and external keyboard to a connection unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanation diagram showing an exchange of informationbetween the first embodiment of the present invention of an informationcommunication system, which is composed by connecting a mobileinformation communication apparatus and a connection unit applied to amobile information communication apparatus and then connecting both ofan external display device and external keyboard to a connection unit,and a web server connected to the Internet.

FIG. 4 is an image showing a screen image, which is displayed on adisplay panel belonging to the first embodiment of the present inventionof a mobile information communication apparatus, when a markup documentfile with a liquid layout is browsed with the mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

FIG. 5 is an image showing a screen image which is displayed on a screenof an external display device, when a markup document file with a liquidlayout is browsed with the first embodiment of the present invention ofan information communication system which is composed by connecting amobile information communication apparatus and a connection unit appliedto a mobile information communication apparatus and then connecting bothof an external display device and external keyboard to a connectionunit.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thesecond embodiment of the present invention of an informationcommunication system, which is composed by connecting a mobileinformation communication apparatus, and an external input/output unitapplied to a mobile information communication apparatus.

FIG. 7 is an outline diagram showing a constitution of the secondembodiment of the present invention of an information communicationsystem, which is composed by connecting a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, and an external input/output unit applied to amobile information communication apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thethird embodiment of the present invention of a navigation system, whichis composed by connecting a mobile information communication apparatus,and an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

FIG. 9 is an outline diagram showing a constitution of the thirdembodiment of the present invention of a navigation system, which iscomposed by connecting a mobile information communication apparatus, andan external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

FIG. 10 is an image showing a screen image, which is displayed on adisplay panel belonging to the third embodiment of the present inventionof a mobile information communication apparatus, when a map imageincluding its present location information is displayed by the mobileinformation communication apparatus.

FIG. 11 is an image showing a screen image which is displayed on ascreen of an external input/output unit, when a map image including itspresent location information is displayed by the third embodiment of thepresent invention of a navigation system which is composed by connectinga mobile information communication apparatus and an externalinput/output unit applied to a mobile information communicationapparatus.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thefourth embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thefifth embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thesixth embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of theseventh embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

-   1 . . . mobile telephone unit-   10A1 . . . central processing circuit 1-   10A2 . . . central processing circuit 2-   10B . . . graphic controller 1-   10B1 . . . bit-mapped data generating circuit-   10B2 . . . bit-mapped data transfer circuit-   10C . . . VRAM 1-   10D . . . plotting command transfer circuit-   11 . . . baseband processor-   111A . . . communication antenna-   111B . . . RF sending/receiving part-   112A . . . television receiving antenna-   112B . . . television tuner-   112C . . . AD/DA converting part 1-   113A . . . shared antenna-   113B . . . GPS down converter-   113C . . . AD/DA converting part 3-   113D . . . shared unit-   12A . . . optical system part-   12B . . . CCD-   12C . . . AD/DA converting part 2-   13A . . . TMDS transmitter-   13B . . . graphic controller 2-   13C . . . VRAM 2-   13D . . . external connection terminal part A-   14A . . . flash memory-   14B . . . RAM-   15A . . . LCD panel-   15B . . . LCD driver-   16A . . . key operating part-   16B . . . key input controller-   17 . . . built-in battery-   18A . . . microphone-   18B . . . speaker-   18C . . . CODEC-   19 . . . bus-   2 . . . connection cable-   3 . . . connection unit-   33 . . . interface part B-   33D . . . external connection terminal part B-   33D1 . . . insertion slot-   34 . . . HDD-   35 . . . interface part C1-   35A1 . . . RAMDAC-   35A2 . . . video signal converting circuit-   35D1 . . . VGA terminal part-   35D2 . . . video output terminal part-   36 . . . interface part C2-   36D . . . external input connection terminal-   37A . . . battery B-   37B . . . AC/DC circuit-   37C . . . commercial power supply plug-   4 . . . external input/output unit-   43 . . . interface part D-   43D . . . external connection terminal part D-   43D1 . . . insertion slot-   44 . . . HDD-   45A . . . external LCD panel-   45B . . . external LCD driver-   45C . . . scan converter-   45D . . . TMDS receiver-   456 . . . external LCD touch panel-   461 . . . external key operating part-   462 . . . external touchpad-   47A . . . battery D-   47B . . . AC/DC circuit-   47C . . . commercial power supply plug-   48A . . . external microphone-   48B . . . external speaker-   48C . . . external CODEC-   5 . . . external display device-   61 . . . external keyboard-   62 . . . mouse-   7 . . . outlet-   8 . . . dashboard-   9 . . . the Internet-   91 . . . web server

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described withreference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is notrestricted to the following embodiments and many variations are possiblewithin the sprit and scope of the present invention.

Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thefirst embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, a connection unit applied to a mobileinformation communication apparatus and an information communicationsystem which is composed by connecting a mobile informationcommunication apparatus and a connection unit and then connecting bothof an external display device and external keyboard to a connectionunit, especially in the case that the mobile information communicationapparatus is a mobile telephone unit.

In this embodiment, a mobile telephone unit 1 can be used by itself fortelephone call, data communication and processing, TV program watchingor subject imaging, and various images are displayed on an LCD (LiquidCrystal Display) panel 15, which is a display panel belonging to themobile telephone unit 1. Hereinafter, it is assumed that screen'sresolution of the LCD panel 15A is vertically long QVGA(horizontal×vertical=240×320 pixels) in usual use, but another screen'sresolution is possible.

Firstly, when the mobile telephone unit 1 is used for telephone call, asound picked up by microphone by a microphone 18A is converted to adigital signal by a CODEC (COder-DECoder) 18C and the digital signalgoes through a baseband processor 11 and an RF (Radio Frequency)sending/receiving part 111B and is sent to public network as a wirelesssignal from a communication antenna 111A. In reverse, a wireless signalfrom public network is received by the communication antenna 111A and isconverted to a digital signal by going through the RF sending/receivingpart 111B and the baseband processor 11. The digital signal is convertedto an analog electrical signal and is finally is outputted as sound froma speaker 18B.

Secondly, when the mobile telephone unit 1 is used for datacommunication and processing, data, which is inputted by operating a keyoperating part 16A composed of around twenty small keys and is convertedto a digital signal by a key input controller 16B, and/or data, which isincluded in an wireless signal conforming to the Internet Protocol andreceived from public network, goes through the RF sending/receiving part111B and the baseband processor 11 and is converted to the digitalsignal, are sent to a central processing circuit 1_10A1 via a bus 19.And then the central processing circuit 1_10A1 makes necessary processeson the data and sends the processed data to a RAM (Random Access Memory)14B, a graphic controller 1_10B and the baseband processor 11 via thebus 19.

Note that sending and receiving of an wireless signal conforming to theInternet Protocol is realized by communicating with a base station ofcellular network in the form such as CDMA (Code Division MultipleAccess) or by communicating with a base station or an access point ofwireless LAN in the form such as DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum)and OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing).

Especially, when the mobile telephone unit 1 is connected to theInternet and a web page with a liquid layout or a narrow fixed-widthlayout including that belonging to “mobile site” is browsed, the centralprocessing circuit 1_10A1 acquires markup document files and theirlinked files comprising the web page via the communication antenna 111A,the RF sending/receiving part 111B, the baseband processor 11 and thebus 19, according to browsing programs stored in a flash memory 14A. Andsaid files are rendered into a page image, of which the number ofhorizontal pixels is equal to the screen's horizontal resolution of theLCD panel 15A (240 pixels), by the central processing circuit 1_10A1 andthe central processing circuit 1_10A1 sends a plotting command of therendered page image to the graphic controller 1_10B.

The graphic controller 1_10B generates bit-mapped data on a virtualscreen, which is created so as to have a high enough resolution, andwrites said data in a VRAM (Video RAM) 1_10C.

Hereinafter, the resolution of the virtual screen is assumed to be QUXGAWide (Quad Ultra XGA Wide) (horizontal×vertical=3840×2400 pixels).

And then the graphic controller 1_10B cuts out a portion of thebit-mapped data describing an image which is displayed on the LCD panel15A, and send the portion to an LCD driver 15B. Especially, in the casethat the number of vertical pixels is larger than the screen's verticalresolution of the LCD panel 15A (320 pixels), the portion of thebit-mapped data moves on the virtual screen according to an operation ofthe key operating part 16A and a page image is scrolled.

The LCD driver 15B activates each pixel comprising the screen of the LCDpanel 15A by activating a source driver part and a gate driver partaccording to the bit-mapped data and displays page image, in which menubars are also displayed on the top and/or the bottom, corresponding tosaid web page.

When the mobile telephone unit 1 is used for TV program watching, a TVsignal received by a television receiving antenna 112A is converted to adigital image signal by a television tuner 112B and an AD/DA convertingpart 1_112C, and the digital image signal is sent to the centralprocessing circuit 1_10A1 via the bus 19.

On the other hand, in the mobile telephone unit 1, it is selectable byoperating the key operating part 16A whether a TV broadcast image isdisplayed in the vertically long configuration or in the horizontallylong configuration.

Note that screen's resolution is horizontal×vertical=240×320 pixels inthe vertically long configuration and horizontal×vertical=320×240 pixelsin the horizontally long configuration.

The central processing circuit 1_10A1 generates a plotting command togenerate a bit-mapped data of a screen image displayed on the LCD panel15A according to said direction selection signal and said digital imagesignal and the plotting command to the graphic controller 1_10B.

Note that there can be nothing to be displayed at the top and/or thebottom of the screen in the vertically long configuration.

Since, in this case, horizontal and vertical resolution of an intrinsicimage of TV broadcast are larger than those of the LCD panel 15A both inthe vertically long configuration and in the horizontally longconfiguration, the central processing circuit 1_10A1 generates aplotting command of a whole image with an lower resolution than anintrinsic resolution by thinning out a part of the digital image signalsent from the AD/DA converting part 1_112C.

The graphic controller 1_10B, the VRAM 1_10C and LCD driver 15A move inthe same manner as in the that case a page image of a web page isdisplayed, except that there is no screen scrolling according to theoperation of the key operating part 16A, and, as a result, a movingimage of TV broadcast is displayed on the LCD panel 15A in real time.

When the mobile telephone unit 1 is used for subject imaging, reflectedor emitted light signal from a subject goes to a CCD 12B through anoptical system part 12A including optical lens and is received andconverted to an electrical signal of each pixel by the CCD 12B. Theelectrical signal is converted to a digital image signal by an AD/DAconverting part 2_12C and then the digital image signal is sent to thecentral processing circuit 1_10A1 via the bus 19. Hereinafter, it isassumed that a resolution of the CCD 12B is UXGA (Ultra XGA)(horizontal×vertical=1600×1200 pixels), but another resolution ispossible.

On the other hand, the central processing circuit 1_10A1, the graphiccontroller 1_10B, the VRAM 1_10C and LCD driver 15A move in the samemanner as in the that TV program is watched and, as a result, a movingimage of the subject is displayed in real time on the LCD panel 15A.Since, in this case, a horizontal and vertical resolution of anintrinsic image imaged by the CCD 12B are larger than those of the LCDpanel 15A both in the vertically long configuration and in thehorizontally long configuration, the central processing circuit 1_10A1generates a plotting command of a whole image with an lower resolutionthan an intrinsic resolution by thinning out a part of the digital imagesignal sent from the AD/DA converting part 2_12C.

On the other hand, in the mobile telephone unit 1, by operating the keyoperating part 16A, a bit-mapped data, which is generated cooperativelyby the central processing circuit 1_10A1 and the graphic controller1_10B, can be stored as an image data file in the flash memory 14A. Atthat time, the bit-mapped data is stored in MPEG (Moving Picture ExpertsGroup) format (including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4) in the case of movingimage, and is stored in such format as BMP, TIFF, JPEG, GIF and PNG.Note that an image file is also generated and stored in the case thatthe central processing circuit 1_10A1 receives and make necessaryprocesses on a digital signal, which is received via the communicationantenna 111A, the RF sending/receiving part 111B and the basebandprocessor 11 by accessing a web site.

The central processing circuit 1_10A1 can access the image data storedin the flash memory 14A via the bus 19. And when the central processingcircuit 1_10A1 processes the readout data properly and the graphiccontroller 1_10B, the VRAM 1_10C and LCD driver 15A move in the samemanner as described above, the corresponding image is also displayed onthe LCD panel 15A.

Hereinbefore, described is the outline of the function of the mobiletelephone unit 1 when it is used by itself. In addition to use byitself, the mobile telephone unit 1 and a connection unit 3 can be madework as an unified information communication system by connecting anexternal connection terminal part A_13D, which is belong to the mobiletelephone unit 1 to connect itself to the connection unit 3, andexternal connection terminal B_33D comprising an interface part B 33,which is belong to the connection unit 3 via a connection cable 2.

On the other hand, the connection unit 3 is equipped with an interfacepart C1_35 and interface part C2_36, both of which are interface meansto connect external apparatuses. An the external display device 5, whichis LCD, is connected to the interface part C1_35, and an externalkeyboard 61, which is a full keyboard, and a mouse 62 is connected to aninterface part C2_36, respectively. Also, the connection unit 3 isequipped with an HDD 34 and a battery B_37A, both of which are connectedto interface part B. The battery B_37A is connected with an AC/DCcircuit 37B and a commercial power supply plug 37C and the connectionunit 3 is made to work by DC power which is once stored in the battery B37A via them. Note that DC power supply, which is stored in the batteryB 37A belonging to the connection unit 3, is also supplied to and storedin a built-in battery 17 belonging to telephone unit 1 via an externalconnection terminal part B_33D and the external connection terminal partA 13D, and the mobile telephone unit 1 is made to work by the DC power.

Hereinafter, it is assumed that a screen's resolution of the externaldisplay device 5 (LCD) is VGA (horizontal×vertical=640×480 pixels) inprinciple, but another resolution is possible.

When the mobile telephone unit 1 in work and the connection unit 3 areconnected with each other, or when the mobile telephone unit 1 in workand the connection unit 3 are connected with each other, and then theconnection unit 3 is made to work, or when the mobile telephone unit 1and the connection unit 3 in work are connected with each other, andthen the mobile telephone unit 1 is made to work, the central processingcircuit 1_10A1 of the mobile telephone unit 1 receives a connectiondetection signal of the connection unit 3 from the connection unit 3 andscreen's resolution data of the external display device 5 via theexternal connection terminal part B 33D, the external connectionterminal part A 13D and the bus 19.

Hereinbefore and hereinafter, “signal which detects one to be connected”is referred as “one's connection detection signal”.

When the central processing circuit 1_10A1 of the mobile telephone unit1 detects said connection detection signal, the central processingcircuit 1_10A1 generates a plotting command of an image with a higherresolution and send it to the graphic controller 1_10B, instead of aplotting command of an image of which horizontal resolution orresolution is the same as the screen's horizontal resolution or thescreen's resolution of the LCD panel 15A.

More concretely, when a web page for PC is browsed with the mobiletelephone unit 1, the central processing circuit 1_10A1 generates andsends a plotting command manner corresponding to layout of the web page,according to browser software stored in the flash memory 14A, in thefollowing manner: When the web page is with a liquid layout or afixed-width layout narrower than screen's horizontal resolution of theexternal display device 5 (480 pixels), the central processing circuit1_10A1 generates and sends a plotting command of a page image with thesame horizontal resolution as the screen's horizontal resolution of theexternal display device 5. And when the web page is with a fixed-widthlayout wider than screen's horizontal resolution of the external displaydevice 5 (480 pixels), the central processing circuit 1_10A1 generatesand sends a plotting command of a page image with the same horizontalresolution as the fixed-width.

On the other hand, when TV broadcast is watched or a subject is imagedwith the mobile telephone unit 1, the central processing circuit 1_10A1generates and sends a plotting command of a whole image corresponding tothe screen's resolution of the external display device 5 by thinning outa part of the digital image signal.

And the central processing circuit 1_10A1 generates a sending command tosend bit-mapped data cut out from the VRAM 1_10C to a TMDS transmitter13A instead to the LCD driver 15B and sends the sending command to thegraphic controller 1_10B.

Note that, in the case a web page with fixed-layout is browsed with aconnected external display devise such as full high-vision TV monitor(horizontal×vertical=1920×1080 pixels), of which screen's resolution ishigh enough but lower than the logical resolution of the previouslycreated virtual screen (3840×2400 pixels), the central processingcircuit 1_10A1 generates and sends a plotting command of a page imagewith the same horizontal resolution of the screen's horizontalresolution of the external display device 5, because the width of almostall the web page does not exceed the screen's horizontal resolution ofthe external display device 5.

Also, in the case TV broadcast is watched or a subject is imaged with aconnected external display devise such as full high-vision TV monitor,the central processing circuit 1_10A1 generates and sends a plottingcommand of an intrinsic image of a digital image signal, because theresolution of the intrinsic image does not exceed the screen'shorizontal resolution of the external display device 5.

The graphic controller 1_10B generates bit-mapped data on the previouslycreated virtual screen and writes it in the VRAM 1_10C according to theplotting command received from the central processing circuit 1_10A1.And then the graphic controller 1_10B cuts out bit-mapped datadescribing an image displayed on the screen of the external displaydevice 5, of which resolution is the same as the screen's resolution ofthe external display device 5, from the VRAM 1_10C, according toscreen's resolution data of the external display device 5, which isreceived from the central processing circuit 1_10A1, and sends thebit-mapped data to the TMDS transmitter 13A. The TMDS transmitter 13Asends the bit-mapped data to the interface part B 33 of the connectionunit 3 via the external connection terminal part A 13D in TMDS format.

In the connection unit 3, the interface part C1_35 with TMDS receiverfunction receives, makes necessary processes on the bit-mapped data andsends it to the external display device 5, and an image with aresolution corresponding to the screen's resolution is displayed on thescreen of the external display device 5 as a result. On this occasion,horizontal whole of a page image is displayed without any horizontalscrolling in the case that a web page with a liquid layout or afixed-width layout narrower than the screen's horizontal resolution ofthe external display device 5 is browsed. In the case, however, that aweb page with a fixed-width layout wider than the screen's horizontalresolution of the external display device 5 is browsed, only ahorizontal portion of page image is displayed on the screen of theexternal display device 5 and a whole image can be browsed by horizontalscrolling. On the other hand, in the case TV broadcast is watched or asubject is imaged, an image with a lower resolution than the intrinsicimage of the digital image signal is displayed in full screen on thescreen of the external display device 5.

Note that in the case such a high-resolution display device as a fullhigh-vision TV monitor is selected as the external display device 5 anda web page is browsed with the external display device 5 connected, ahorizontal whole of a page image is browsed without any horizontalscrolling in almost all the cases because of the reason described above.

On the other hand, also, when TV broadcast is watched or a subject isimaged with the external display device 5, which is a high-resolutiondisplay device as a full high-vision TV monitor, an intrinsic image isdisplayed, corresponding that the central processing circuit 1_10A1generates and sends a plotting command of an intrinsic image of adigital image signal. Especially, in the case that the external displaydevice 5 or the interface part C1_35 of the connection unit 3 has anupscan function, the intrinsic image is displayed in full screen on thescreen of the external display device 5. Especially, in the case thatthe upscan function accompanies a pixel interpolation function, a finescreen image with the same resolution as the screen's resolution of theexternal display device 5.

When the central processing circuit 1_10A1 of the mobile telephone unit1 receives said connection detection signal, the central processingcircuit 1_10A1 send a source assigning signal to the key inputcontroller 16B, which commands it not to receive an input signal fromthe key operating part 16A of the central processing circuit 1_10A1 andto receive an input signal from the external keyboard 61 connected tothe interface part C2_36 of the connection unit 3. Owing to thisfunction, a user can input data by operating the external keyboard 61,which is a full keyboard, instead by operating the key operating part16A of the mobile telephone unit 1, of which operationality of characterinput is bad.

And the central processing circuit 1_10A1 of the mobile telephone unit 1can read out a data file stored in the flash memory 14A according to akey operation of keyboard 61 and can store it in the HDD 34 via the bus19, the external connection terminal part A 13D, and the interface partB 33 of the connection unit 3.

Note that a destination of bit-mapped data generated by the graphiccontroller 1_10B and a input source of data sent to the centralprocessing circuit 1_10A1 can be assigned or changed, for example, bymanually operating the key operating part 16A of the mobile telephoneunit 1 as well as automatically assigned or changed according to aconnection detection signal received by the central processing circuit1_10A1. And a resolution of an image described by a bit-mapped data sentto the external display device 5 can be assigned, for example, bymanually selecting the resolution conforming to the screen's resolutionof the external display device 5 from the choice list of resolutions, ofwhich image is displayed on the LCD panel 15A or on the screen of theexternal display device 5 as well as automatically assigned according toscreen's resolution data of the external display device 5 which isreceived by the central processing circuit 1_10A1. Also a resolution ofan image described by a bit-mapped data sent to the external displaydevice 5 can be fixed, for example, to VGA with no choice.

On the other hand, FIG. 2 is an outline diagram showing a constitutionof the first embodiment of the present invention of an informationcommunication system which is composed of connecting a mobileinformation communication apparatus and a connection unit applied to amobile information communication apparatus and then connecting both ofan external display device and external keyboard to a connection unit,especially in the case that the mobile information communicationapparatus is a mobile telephone unit.

In this embodiment, the connection unit 3 is equipped with an insertionslot 33D1, into which the mobile telephone unit 1 is inserted. Byinserting the mobile telephone unit 1 to the insertion slot 33D1, theexternal connection terminal part A 13D of the mobile telephone unit 1,which is not shown in FIG. 2, and the interface part B 33 of theconnection unit 3, which is not shown in FIG. 2, become in touch, and,as a result, the mobile telephone unit 1 and the connection unit 3 areconnected with each other. Therefore, the connection cable 2 isdispensable in this embodiment.

And the connection unit 3 is also equipped with an external inputconnection terminal 36D for connecting the external keyboard 61 and themouse 62. By inserting a connection cable connector for the externalkeyboard 61 and a connection cable connector for the mouse 62, theseinput devices can be connected to the connection unit 3. And theconnection unit 3 is also equipped with a connection terminal forconnecting the external display device 5, which is not shown in FIG. 2.By connecting a connection cable connector for the external displaydevice 5 with said connection terminal and a connection terminal of theexternal display device 5, which is not shown in FIG. 2, the externaldisplay device 5 can be connected to the connection unit 3.

Note that connectors and connection cable are purchased cost-effectivelyby making interface of the connection unit 3 between the externaldisplay device 5 and external input devices (the external keyboard 61and the mouse 62) conform to commonly used standard such as DVI (DigitalVisual Interface) and USB (Universal Serial Bus).

Connection unit 3 is also equipped with the commercial power supply plug37C and, by inserting the commercial power supply plug 37C into anoutlet 7 of commercial AC power, the connection unit 3 can be activatedand built-in battery of the mobile telephone unit 1, which is not shownin FIG. 2, is charged via AC/DC circuit built in the connection unit 3,which is not shown in FIG. 2.

Note that although the mobile telephone unit 1 and the connection unit3, the connection unit 3 and the external display device 5, and, theconnection unit 3 and external input devices (the external keyboard 61and the mouse 62) are connected with each other by connection cable orby direct touch of external connection terminal parts, they can beconnected by wireless means such as Bluetooth and IrDA (Infrared DataAssociation) instead.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 is an explanation diagram showing an exchangeof information between the first embodiment of the present invention ofan information communication system, which is composed of connecting amobile information communication apparatus and a connection unit appliedto a mobile information communication apparatus and then connecting bothof an external display device and external keyboard to a connectionunit, and a web server connected to the Internet, especially in the casethat the mobile information communication apparatus is a mobiletelephone unit.

When an information communication system composed of the mobiletelephone unit 1, the connection unit 3, the external display device 5and external input devices (the external keyboard 61 and the mouse 62)accesses a web server 91 connected to the Internet 9, the centralprocessing circuit 1_10A1 sends user-agent information to the web server91 via the bus 19, the baseband processor 11, the RF sending/receivingpart 111B and the communication antenna 111A, according to browsersoftware stored in the flash memory 14A. Note that components installedinside of the mobile telephone unit 1 are not sown in FIG. 3.

On this occasion, the central processing circuit 1_10A1 makes theuser-agent information include information, which specifies whether thecentral processing circuit 1_10A1 commands the graphic controller 1_10Bto send bit-mapped data cut out from the VRAM 1_10C to the LCD driver15B or to the TMDS transmitter 13A.

The web server 91 stores both “a set of data files for mobile” and “aset of data files for PC”.

Hereinbefore and hereinafter, “a set of data files corresponding to webpages which is intended to be browsed with a display means belonging toa mobile telephone unit and is of small size without frame layout” isreferred as “a set of data files for mobile”, and “a set of data filescorresponding to web pages which has no restriction on size and layout”is referred as “a set of data files for PC”.

Since the web server 91 has a CGI function or a PHP function, the webserver 91 selects a preferable set of data files and sends it to aninformation communication system composed of the mobile telephone unit1, the connection unit 3, the external display device 5 and externalinput devices (the external keyboard 61 and the mouse 62) in thefollowing manner: “A set of data files for mobile” is sent in the casethat a sending command from the central processing circuit 1_10A1commands to send to the LCD driver 15B, and “a set of data files for PC”in the case that a sending command commands to send to the TMDStransmitter 13A.

As a result, with an information communication system composed of themobile telephone unit 1, the connection unit 3, the external displaydevice 5 and external input devices (the external keyboard 61 and themouse 62), preferable web pages, which corresponds to a screen'sresolution of the display panel in an active condition, can be browsed.

Note that browser software stored in the flash memory 14A of the mobiletelephone unit 10 has a rendering function, by which a screen image canbe generated from several markup files comprising a web page with aframe layout. Herewith, the central processing circuit 1_10A1 cangenerate and send a plotting command of a web page with a frame layout.

On the other hand, FIG. 4 is an image showing a screen image which isdisplayed on a display panel belonging to the first embodiment of thepresent invention of a mobile information communication apparatus, whena markup document file with a liquid layout is browsed by the mobileinformation communication apparatus, and FIG. 5 is an image showing ascreen image which is displayed on a screen of an external displaydevice, when a markup document file with a liquid layout is browsed bythe first embodiment of the present invention of an informationcommunication system which is composed by connecting a mobileinformation communication apparatus and a connection unit applied to amobile information communication apparatus and then connecting both ofan external display device and external keyboard to a connection unit.Note that FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the case a markup document file, whichdescribes Japanese description of the present application withoutchange, is browsed.

When markup document file with a liquid layout either with the LCD panel15A of the mobile telephone unit 1, of which screen's resolution isassumed to be QVGA, or with an external display device, of whichscreen's resolution is assumed to be VGA, no horizontal scrolling isrequired because text automatically moves to next line corresponding toa screen's horizontal width. However, as shown in FIG. 4, since numberof characters in a line displayed on the LCD panel 15A is small, it isrequired to roll down frequently to result in difficulty inunderstanding whole text. In contrast, since number of characters in aline displayed on a screen of an external display device is large, it isvery easy to understand whole text, as shown in FIG. 5.

Embodiment 2

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thesecond embodiment of the present invention of an informationcommunication system which is composed by connecting a mobileinformation communication apparatus and an external input/output unitapplied to a mobile information communication apparatus, especially inthe case that the mobile information communication apparatus is a mobiletelephone unit.

Functions of this embodiment of the mobile telephone unit 1 is the sameas that of the first embodiment of the mobile telephone unit 1 in thecase the mobile telephone unit 1 is used by itself. On the other hand,the mobile telephone unit 1 is connected to an external input/outputunit 4, instead of a connection unit, via the connection cable 2. Alsoin this case, fundamental functions of the mobile telephone unit 1 isthe same as that of the first embodiment, expect that the centralprocessing circuit 1_10A1 receives the screen's resolution data of anexternal LCD panel 45A belonging to the external input/output unit 4instead of a screen's resolution data of an external display device

On the other hand, functions of the external input/output unit 4 isalmost the same as the combination of the first embodiment of theconnection unit 3 and the external display device 5 and external inputdevices, except the followings: An external display device and externalkeyboard are not externally connected, and the external LCD panel 45Aand an external key operating part 461 are included in the externalinput/output unit 4 as its components instead; A mouse is not externallyconnected, and the external input/output unit 4 is equipped with anexternal touchpad 462 instead.

The central processing circuit 1_10A1 of the mobile telephone unit 1,that is to say, commands the graphic controller 1_10B to generatebit-mapped data describing an image with a proper resolution for eachcase and send it to the TMDS transmitter 13A, when the centralprocessing circuit 1_10A1 receives a connection detection signal of theexternal input/output unit 4 and screen's resolution data of theexternal LCD panel 45A belonging to the external input/output unit 4.The bit-mapped data, which is sent by the graphic controller 1_10Baccording to the plotting command the sending command, is received by anexternal connection terminal part D_43D comprising an interface partD_43 of the external input/output unit 4 via the external connectionterminal part A 13D of the mobile telephone unit 1. The bit-mapped data,on which necessary processes are made by a TMDS receiver 45D and a scanconverter 45C, is sent to an external LCD driver 45B, and then theexternal LCD driver 45B activates each pixel comprising the screen ofthe external LCD panel 45A so that screen image is displayed on theexternal LCD panel 45A.

On the other hand, FIG. 7 is an outline diagram showing a constitutionof the second embodiment of the present invention of an informationcommunication system which is composed by connecting a mobileinformation communication apparatus and an external input/output unitapplied to a mobile information communication apparatus, especially inthe case that the mobile information communication apparatus is a mobiletelephone unit.

In this embodiment, the external input/output unit 4 is constructed asfollows: circuits such as that comprising the interface part D 43, theTMDS receiver 45D, the scan converter 45C and an HDD 44, which are notshown in FIG. 7, are installed inside of a chassis, on the top surfaceof which the external key operating part 461 and the external touchpad462 are equipped; The chassis and the external LCD panel 45A are hinged;the external LCD driver 45B, which is not shown in FIG. 7, is installedin a frame part of LCD panel 45A; the external connection terminal partD 43D to connect the connection cable 2 and a terminal part to connect apower cable connected to an AC/DC circuit 47B are installed on the backside surface of the chassis, which is not shown in FIG. 7.

Embodiment 3

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thethird embodiment of the present invention of a navigation system whichis composed by connecting a mobile information communication apparatusand an external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, especially in the case that the mobileinformation communication apparatus is a mobile telephone unit.

In this embodiment, the mobile telephone unit 1 is equipped with: ashared antenna 113A which receives a GPS signal, in addition to acommunication wireless signal, and converts it to an electrical signal;a shared unit 113D which sends the electrical signal converted from thea communication wireless signal to the RF sending/receiving part 111Band sends the electrical signal converted from the GPS signal to anaftermentioned GPS down converter 113B respectively; a GPS downconverter 113B which convert a frequency of the electrical signalconverted from the GPS signal; an AD/DA converting part 3_113C whichconverts the frequency-converted electrical signal to a digital signal.Note that it is not equipped with imaging means such as a CCD.

Hereinafter and hereinbefore, “wireless signal for data communicationand telephone call” is referred as “communication wireless signal”.

The central processing circuit 1_10A1 acquires image data, whichincludes map information by accessing the HDD 44, which is equipped tothe external input/output unit 4, and reading out the image data filestored in the HDD 44 or by receiving a wireless signal conforming theInternet Protocol. And the central processing circuit 1_10A1 sends aplotting command to the graphic controller 1_10B in real time, whichcommands to generate bit-mapped data describing a map image includingits present location information on the virtual screen with high enoughresolution by coupling the map information with the digital signal fromthe AD/DA converting part 3_113C.

At that time, the central processing circuit 1_10A1 sends a sendingcommand, which commands to send the generated bit-mapped data whether tothe LCD driver 15B or to TMDS transmitter 13, to the graphic controller1_10B, according to the connection detection signal which detects theexternal input/output unit 4 to be connected.

According to the sending command, the graphic controller 1_10B cuts outa portion of bit-mapped data on the virtual screen, which corresponds tothe screen's resolution of LCD panel 16A or the screen's resolution ofan external LCD touch panel 456 belonging to the external input/outputunit 4, and sends it to the LCD driver 15B or the TMDS transmitter 13Arespectively. And a map image, in the center of which its presentlocation is there and menu bars are also displayed on the top and/or thebottom, is displayed in full screen on LCD panel 16A of the mobiletelephone unit 1 or on the external LCD touch panel 456 of the externalinput/output unit 4

Note that the external LCD touch panel 456 belonging to this embodimentof the external input/output unit 4 has a touch panel function whichenables for a user to input data by touching a surface of the panel, anddata inputted by touching the panel of the external LCD touch panel 456is sent to the central processing circuit 1_10A1 via the interface partD 43, the external connection terminal part A 13D and the bus 19, inaction to data inputted by operating the external key operating part461. And these data are processed by the central processing circuit1_10A1 and images displayed on the external LCD touch panel 456 arechanged as a result.

The external input/output unit 4 is also equipped with an externalmicrophone 48A, an external speaker 48B and an external CODEC 48C. Thesecomponents exchange signals between the baseband processor 11, andtelephone call by using the external microphone 48A and the externalspeaker 48B and voice output of traveling route information are realizedas a result.

FIG. 9 is an outline diagram showing a constitution of the thirdembodiment of the present invention of a navigation system, which iscomposed by connecting a mobile information communication apparatus, andan external input/output unit applied to a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, especially in the case that the mobileinformation communication apparatus is a mobile telephone unit.

In this embodiment, chassis, at the top surface of which the externalLCD touch panel (display unit) 456 with the external key operating part461 around itself is equipped, is mounted at the driver's side of adashboard 8, and the HDD 44 and circuits comprising a variety ofinterfaces are installed inside of the chassis. Note that the HDD 44 andcircuits comprising a variety of interfaces (such as a first interfacedevice comprising the connection cable 2 in FIG. 8 and a secondinterface device comprising the interface part D 43 in FIG. 8) are notshown in FIG. 9. Also the external connection terminal part D (cradle)43D is installed on the side surface or on the bottom surface of thechassis, which is mouted insed of the the dashboard 8, and the externalconnection terminal part D 43D, and the external connection terminalpart D 43D and the bottom of an insertion slot 43D1, which is equippedat the top surface, is connected via the connection cable 2 (theconnection cable 2 including the terminals at each end forming, at leastin part, the first interface device). Herewith, the external connectionterminal part A 13D of the mobile telephone unit 1 and the externalconnection terminal part D 43D can be connected by inserting the mobiletelephone unit 1 into the insertion slot 43D1. And, as a result, mapimage, in the center of which its present location is there, isdisplayed on the external LCD touch panel 456 with a large enough sizeand resolution for a driver to confirm.

Also the external microphone 48A and the external speaker 48B areequipped around the chassis including the external LCD touch panel 456,which enables for a driver to make a hands-free telephone call and to beinformed of traveling route information by voice.

On the other hand, FIG. 10 is an image showing a screen image which isdisplayed on a display panel belonging to the third embodiment of thepresent invention of a mobile information communication apparatus, whena map image including its present location information is displayed bythe mobile information communication apparatus, and FIG. 11 is an imageshowing a screen image which is displayed on a screen of an externalinput/output unit, when a map image including its present locationinformation is displayed by the third embodiment of the presentinvention of a navigation system which is composed by connecting amobile information communication apparatus and an external input/outputunit applied to a mobile information communication apparatus.

As shown in the diagrams, in the case that a map image is displayed inan external display panel of the external input/output unit, which isconnected to a mobile information communication apparatus so as toconstitute this embodiment of the present invention of a navigationsystem, map information for wider area can be displayed than in the casethat a mobile information communication apparatus is used by itself.This function is convenient in driving time when wide area must besurveyed and a car navigation system, which a driver himself can use,can be constituted cooperatively by this function and voice output oftraveling route information.

Embodiment 4

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thefourth embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, especially in the case that the mobileinformation communication apparatus is a mobile telephone unit.

In this embodiment, the graphic controller 1_10B of the mobile telephoneunit 1 is comprised of a bit-mapped data generating circuit 10B1 and abit-mapped data transfer circuit 10B2. The bit-mapped data generatingcircuit 10B1 generates bit-mapped data according to a plotting commandfrom the central processing circuit 1_10A1 and send the bit-mapped datato the bit-mapped data transfer circuit 10B2. The bit-mapped datatransfer circuit 10B2 sends the bit-mapped data separately both to theTMDS transmitter 13A and the LCD driver 15B according to a sendingcommand from the central processing circuit 1_10A1.

Embodiment 5

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thefifth embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus, especially in the case that the mobileinformation communication apparatus is a mobile telephone unit.

In this embodiment, the mobile telephone unit 1 is equipped with acentral processing circuit 2_10A2 instead of the central processingcircuit 1_10A1 in the first to the fourth embodiment and the centralprocessing circuit 2_10A2 sends a plotting command a sending command toa plotting command transfer circuit 10D. The plotting command transfercircuit 10D sends the plotting command separately both to a graphiccontroller 2_13B and LCD controller/driver 15C according to the sendingcommand.

The graphic controller 2_13B generates bit-mapped data, which describesan image displayed on an external display device, and stores thebit-mapped data temporarily in a VRAM 2_13C. And then, the graphiccontroller 2_13B cuts a portion of the bit-mapped data describing animage which is displayed on an external display device, and send theportion to the TMDS transmitter 13A.

On the other hand, LCD controller/driver 15C is equipped with graphic acontroller circuit, a VRAM and a LCD driver circuit to form a chipsetand displays an image by activating each pixel of a screen of the LCDpanel 15A according to a plotting command received from the plottingcommand transfer circuit 10D.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of thesixth embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

In this embodiment, an analog CRT display is connected to the connectionunit 3 as an external display device. Therefore, a digital displaysignal, which is received by the interface part B 33, is converted to ananalog signal in a RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital/AnalogConverter) 35A1 and the analog signal is sent to the external displaydevice 5 as an analog RGB signal from a VGA terminal part 35D1.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a constitution and a function of theseventh embodiment of the present invention of a mobile informationcommunication apparatus.

In this embodiment, an analog TV monitor is connected to the connectionunit 3 as an external display device. Therefore, a digital displaysignal, which is received by the interface part B 33, is converted to ananalog signal in a video signal converting circuit 35A2 and the analogsignal is sent to the external display device 5 as composite videosignal, separate video signal or component video signal from a videooutput terminal part 35D2. On this occasion, appropriate terminalcorresponding to signal type (composite video terminal=RCA terminal,separate video terminal=S terminal, component video terminal) should beadopted as the video output terminal part 35D2.

It should be noted that signal conversion from digital to analog is notnecessary (in some cases, however, signal conversion from digital todigital is necessary) and HDVI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)terminal is used as a connection terminal to an external display device.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is applicable to a variety of industries tomanufacture and/or to utilize mobile information communicationapparatuses including mobile telephone units. Also, it is applicable toindustries to manufacture and/or to utilize non-mobile informationcommunication apparatuses such as PC's and car navigation systems.

1. A mobile information processing apparatus, comprising: a displaymeans including a display panel having a screen on which an image isdisplayed as a result of an activation of pixels, and a display controlmeans which controls the activation of the pixels of the screen of thedisplay panel; an interface means capable of being connected to aperipheral device, the peripheral device including an external displaymeans or the peripheral device being connected to the external displaymeans; and a data processing means which (i) processes image data and(ii) performs at least one of (a) a first function of generating a firstdigital display signal based on the processed image data, and sendingthe first digital display signal to the display control means, the firstdigital display signal having a same resolution as a resolution of thescreen of the display panel and (b) a second function of generating asecond digital display signal based on the processed image data, andsending the second digital display signal to the interface means, thesecond digital display signal having a higher resolution than theresolution of the screen of the display panel.
 2. The mobile informationprocessing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processingmeans performs the first function in a case that the interface means isnot connected to the peripheral device, and wherein the data processingmeans performs the second function in a case that the interface means isconnected to the peripheral device.
 3. The mobile information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processing meansperforms the first function in a case that the interface means is notconnected to the peripheral device, and wherein the data processingmeans performs the first function and the second function in a case thatthe interface means is connected to the peripheral device.
 4. The mobileinformation processing apparatus according to claim 1, furthercomprising a wireless receiving means which receives a wireless signalthat conveys image data, converts the wireless signal to a digital imagesignal, and sends the digital image signal to the data processing means,wherein the data processing means processes, as the image data, thedigital image signal received from the wireless receiving means.
 5. Themobile information processing apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe wireless receiving means and the data processing means areconfigured to aquire an image data file from a web site; and wherein thedata processing means processes, as the image data, the image data fileacquired from the web site.
 6. The mobile information processingapparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging meanswhich converts light from a subject to an electrical image signal byimaging elements, converts the electrical image signal to a digitalimage signal, and sends the digital image signal to the data processingmeans, the electrical image signal being an electrical signal of eachpixel to which light is converted by imaging elements, wherein the dataprocessing means processes, as the image data, the digital image signalreceived from the imaging means.
 7. A mobile information processingapparatus, comprising: a display means including a display panel havinga screen on which an image is displayed as a result of an activation ofpixels, and a display control means which controls the activation of thepixels of the screen of the display panel; an interface means capable ofbeing connected to a peripheral device, the peripheral device includingan external display means or the peripheral device being connected tothe external display means; and a data processing means including acentral processing circuit which processes image data, and a graphiccontroller which writes bit-mapped data to a single VRAM based on theprocessed image data, wherein the graphic controller performs at leastone of (i) a first function of reading first bit-mapped data of an imagehaving a same resolution as a resolution of the screen of the displaypanel from the VRAM, generating a first digital display signal thatconveys the read first bit-mapped data, and sending the first digitaldisplay signal to the display control means, and (ii) a second functionof reading second bit-mapped data of an image having a higher resolutionthan the resolution of the screen of the display panel from the VRAM,generating a second digital display signal that conveys the read secondbit-mapped data, and sending the second digital display signal to theinterface means.
 8. The mobile information processing apparatusaccording to claim 7, wherein the graphic controller performs the firstfunction in a case that the interface means is not connected to theperipheral device, and wherein the graphic controller performs thesecond function in a case that the interface means is connected to theperipheral device.
 9. The mobile information processing apparatusaccording to claim 7, wherein the graphic controller performs the firstfunction in a case that the interface means is not connected to theperipheral device, and wherein the graphic controller performs the firstfunction and the second function in a case that the interface means isconnected to the peripheral device.
 10. A graphic controller which isinstalled in an information processing apparatus including (i) a displaymeans including a display panel having a screen on which an image isdisplayed as a result of an activation of pixels, and a display controlmeans which controls the activation of the pixels of the screen of thedisplay panel, (ii) an interface means capable of being connected to aperipheral device, the peripheral device including an external displaymeans or the peripheral device being connected to the external displaymeans, and (iii) a data processing means including a central processingcircuit which processes image data, wherein the graphic controllerwrites bit-mapped data to a single VRAM based on the image dataprocessed by the data processing means, and wherein the graphiccontroller performs at least one of (i) a first function of readingfirst bit-mapped data of an image having a same resolution as aresolution of the screen of the display panel from the VRAM, generatinga first digital display signal that conveys the read first bit-mappeddata, and sending the first digital display signal to the displaycontrol means, and (ii) a second function of reading second bit-mappeddata of an image having a higher resolution than the resolution of thescreen of the display panel from the VRAM, generating a second digitaldisplay signal that conveys the read second bit-mapped data, and sendingthe second digital display signal to the interface means.